My friend Laura invited me up for lunch one day last week and served up a variation of this Barefoot Contessa Cape Cod Chopped Salad with a quiche. It was so delicious that my mom and I made a version we ate for a few days while they were in town for Easter weekend. Ina nailed this one! I plan to have this dressing on hand all summer.
Here is how we made our version:
- Mixed baby arugula and spring mix (as opposed to all arugula)
- 1 large honeycrisp apple, chopped (she calls for Granny Smith)
- 1/2 c. toasted pecans, coarsely chopped (recipe calls for walnuts)
- 1/2 c. dried cranberries
- We omitted the bacon and blue cheese. I may add in protein like bacon or grilled chicken next time if eating as an entree and not a side.
We followed the dressing recipe exactly as Ina describes:
- 3 tablespoons good apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
- 2 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- Kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2/3 cup good olive oil
In a large bowl, toss together the arugula, apple, nuts, cranberries.
For the dressing, whisk together the vinegar, orange zest, orange juice, mustard, maple syrup, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and the pepper in a bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil.
Toss the salad with just enough dressing to moisten. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and toss well. Serve immediately.
Enjoy!
XO,
Whit
