Strawberry Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

When I get invited to a summer party or picnic, I always offer to bring a salad or a dessert.  When it comes to feeding many people a yummy dish, I know I can hit it out of the ballpark with those options and a few of my favorite recipes.  I first had this salad at a get-together with coworkers over ten years ago.  After tasting it, I knew I had to have the recipe.  It makes a huge batch of dressing, so I always have some left for my family to enjoy even after preparing a large salad for a party.  This time, I didn't have a party to attend, but was just in the mood for a strawberry salad (and strawberries were buy one get two free!) so I halved the dressing recipe that follows and I still have plenty.  When not making it for a party, I often add some chicken to make it a main course salad that the whole family loves!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 head of spinach
• 1 head of leaf lettuce
• 1-2 quarts of strawberries, sliced
• Roasted pine nuts (optional)
• Cooked chicken (optional)
• Sliced red onions (optional)

Dressing (makes enough for 3 salad recipes above):

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 tsp dry mustard
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cups oil
• 2/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 3 Tbsp poppy seeds

DIRECTIONS:

1. Blend all dressing ingredients except for poppy seeds in a blender.
2. Add poppy seeds to mixture and stir by hand.
3. Serve salad with dressing on the side or mix together immediately before serving.  Depending on the occasion and availability, add pine nuts, chicken, and/or red onions.

This picture was taken of a family dinner; when preparing for a party, I do not use chicken.  I mix the strawberries, salad, and dressing in a large glass bowl to serve.

Difficulty: Relatively easy (you do need to use/clean the blender)
Time: 15 minutes (plus time to cook chicken if you include it)
Source: a former co-worker