Phyllis Salad: Apple and Cashew Spinach Salad with Curry Vinaigrette

Andrea DeMaio, our marketing director, inherited this recipe from her maman, Phyllis. It really shines in the fall, especially when made with local apples, but Andrea’s family asks Phyllis to make it year-round, every time they gather together. And Andrea brings it to all our staff potlucks—everyone loves the unique curry vinaigrette, and the salad is vegan, so no one is ever left out.

serves 2 to 4

INGREDIENTS

Curry Vinaigrette

• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

  Maman: The Cookbook Elisa Marshall and Benjamin Sormonte with Lauren Salkeld

• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

• 1 tablespoon dry white wine (see Tip)

• 1 teaspoon soy sauce

• 2 tablespoons sugar

• 1 teaspoon curry powder

• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt

• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• ½ cup (120 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

Salad

• ¾ cup (105 g) raw unsalted cashews, chopped

• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds

• 5 cups (125 g) packed baby spinach

• 1 Granny Smith apple (about 3 ounces / 84 g), very thinly sliced

• 4 scallions, sliced

• ¼ cup (40 g) dried cranberries

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

2. MAKE THE CURRY VINAIGRETTE: In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, vinegar, wine, and soy sauce. Add the sugar, curry powder, salt, and pepper and whisk until the sugar is dissolved. While whisking, slowly drizzle in the olive oil, then continue whisking until fully emulsified.

3. MAKE THE SALAD: Spread the cashews evenly in a small ovenproof skillet and toast in the oven until golden brown and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Transfer the cashews to a small bowl and let cool. Spread the sesame seeds evenly in the same small skillet and toast in the oven until golden brown and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Transfer the sesame seeds to another small bowl and let cool.

4. In a large bowl, toss together the spinach, apple, scallions, cranberries, and cashews.

5. Drizzle the curry vinaigrette over the salad and toss to coat. Divide among four bowls, sprinkle each with the toasted sesame seeds, and serve.

tip: If you don’t have dry white wine on hand, use an additional tablespoon of white wine vinegar.

Reprinted with permission from Maman: The Cookbook by Elisa Marshall and Benjamin Sormonte with Lauren Salkeld. Copyright © 2021. Photographs by Linda Xiao. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Penguin Random House.

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