Raspberry-Spinach Salad with Avocado

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large salad bowl or serving platter
• •Medium mixing bowl for dressing
• •Small skillet for candying nuts
• •Whisk
• •Salad spinner

Instructions

1. 1

   Candy the walnuts

   Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it near your stove. Combine the sugar, water, and pinch of salt in a small skillet over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves, then add the walnuts. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar crystallizes into a dry, sandy coating, then continues cooking until it melts again into a glossy amber caramel. This transformation takes six to eight minutes. The moment the nuts smell toasty and the coating turns deep golden, transfer them immediately to the prepared parchment. Separate any clumps with a fork while still warm. They'll crisp as they cool.

   Watch carefully once the sugar re-melts. The line between perfectly caramelized and burnt is measured in seconds, not minutes.
2. 2

   Build the dressing base

   In a medium bowl, whisk together the red wine vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, minced shallot, salt, and pepper. Let this sit for five minutes while you prepare other components. The acid in the vinegar will soften the raw edge of the shallot and allow the mustard to hydrate, both of which help the emulsion form more readily.

   The mustard is not just for flavor. It contains natural emulsifiers that bind the vinegar and oil together. Don't skip it or reduce it.
3. 3

   Emulsify with oil

   Set your bowl on a damp kitchen towel to keep it stable. Begin whisking the vinegar mixture vigorously, then add the oil in a very thin, steady stream. Start with drops. I mean it. The first two tablespoons should take you thirty seconds. This slow incorporation allows each drop to disperse fully before the next arrives, building a stable emulsion that won't break. As the dressing thickens and turns creamy, you can increase your pour to a thin stream. Continue whisking until all the oil is incorporated. The finished dressing should coat a spoon and drip slowly, not run.

   If the dressing breaks and looks oily, start fresh in a new bowl with a teaspoon of mustard, then whisk the broken dressing in slowly as if it were oil. The emulsion will reform.
4. 4

   Finish the dressing

   Stir the poppy seeds into the emulsified dressing. Taste and adjust seasoning. The balance should lean slightly sharp from the vinegar, with honey providing a sweet undertone rather than a dominant flavor. The poppy seeds add gentle crunch and those distinctive blue-black flecks that mark an honest poppy seed dressing.

5. 5

   Prepare the spinach

   Place the baby spinach in your largest salad bowl. Baby spinach requires no stemming or tearing. Run your fingers through the leaves, discarding any that feel slimy or show yellowing. The leaves should be dry. Wet greens dilute your dressing and prevent it from clinging properly. If you've washed them, use a salad spinner aggressively, then spread them on clean kitchen towels to air-dry while you prepare the remaining components.

   Baby spinach bruises easily. Handle it gently and dress it at the last possible moment. Unlike sturdier greens, it wilts within minutes of meeting acid.
6. 6

   Prepare the avocado

   Halve the avocados lengthwise and remove the pits. Score the flesh in long slices while still in the skin, about half an inch apart, cutting down to but not through the skin. Scoop the slices out with a large spoon, keeping them intact. A ripe avocado will release willingly. Fan the slices gently. Their creamy texture and mild richness will temper the tart dressing and sharp berries.

7. 7

   Compose and dress the salad

   Drizzle about half the dressing over the spinach and toss gently with your hands or two large spoons, lifting from the bottom to coat every leaf lightly. You want the spinach glistening, not swimming. Arrange the dressed greens on a large platter or divide among four plates. Scatter the raspberries across the surface, placing them in natural-looking clusters rather than rigid rows. Fan the avocado slices along one side. Break the candied walnuts into rough pieces and distribute them generously. If using goat cheese, crumble it over everything. Drizzle additional dressing lightly over the avocado and berries. Serve immediately.

   This salad cannot wait. The acid in the dressing will wilt the spinach and turn the avocado brown. Dress it the moment before you call people to the table.

Chef Tips

• •Choose raspberries that are deeply colored but still firm. Soft, weeping berries will collapse under the dressing and stain everything pink. Taste one before buying. Raspberries should be tart enough to hold their own against the honey in the dressing.
• •Test your avocado ripeness by pressing gently near the stem. It should yield slightly without feeling mushy. The flesh inside should be uniformly creamy green, with no brown streaks or dark spots. An underripe avocado will taste waxy; an overripe one turns to mush when sliced.
• •The candied walnuts keep for two weeks in an airtight container at room temperature. Make a double batch. You'll find uses for them on yogurt, ice cream, cheese boards, and future salads.
• •If serving this for a dinner party, have all components prepared and arranged in separate containers. Compose and dress the salad tableside. This takes thirty seconds and ensures every guest receives spinach at its peak, not wilted from waiting.

Advance Preparation

• •The poppy seed dressing can be made up to five days ahead and refrigerated. Whisk vigorously before using, as it may separate slightly. Let it come to room temperature for fifteen minutes so it flows properly.
• •Candied walnuts can be made two weeks ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature. Do not refrigerate, as moisture will make them sticky.
• •Wash and thoroughly dry spinach up to one day ahead. Store wrapped in paper towels inside a sealed plastic bag in the refrigerator.
• •Do not slice the avocado or dress the salad until the moment of serving. There are no make-ahead shortcuts for these steps.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 370g)