Triple Berry Spinach Salad with Candied Pecans ?

            A few weeks ago blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries all went on sale for $1.25 per carton. Because of the mega-exciting life that I lead, this was probably the most exhilarating thing to happen in a few weeks. I live for berry season and so naturally we stocked up like crazy. I’m talking five of each container.

Usually when they go on sale, I’ll buy a ton and freeze them, but this time not a single berry was frozen and not a single went to waste. They were SO good. They ended up in yogurt or oatmeal for breakfast every morning, in salads for lunch, a constant source of snacking, and in big spinach salad dinners with grilled chicken.

Although this salad isn’t anything too evolutional (I mean, its berries and spinach right? ) it’s been eaten and enjoyed like CRAZY around these parts and I thought I owed it to you to share the dressing which is crazy good. And you also need the recipe for candied pecans. With those two parts of the salad you can add just about any fresh fruit or berry and I can pretty much 100% guarantee a complete salad obsession.

This dressing is one of my favorite creations. I first developed it last Fall and since then have made it no short of twenty times. I’ve slightly tweaked it for this recipe and to help it pair with the sweet berries. If I am ever bringing salad to an event THIS is the dressing I bring.

It does have some sugar, but it is mayo-free! Which is pretty amazing since you still get a relatively thick dressing that sticks well to the fruits and lettuce. The key to this consistency is blending the dressing instead of just whisking or shaking it in a jar. That and a little dijon mustard!

The candied pecans are also so easy and add so much to a salad, BUT if you are looking to cut out some sugar or make a healthier salad I would recommend lightly toasting the nuts which is also really easy and adds a lot of flavor.

To toast the nuts: pour the nuts into an even layer in a small, dry (no need to add oil or anything) skillet over medium-heat and stir them around a bit until they are fragrant, lightly browned, and toasted to your liking.