Mandarin Pineapple Salad with Basil Flowers

along with toasted walnuts, goat cheese crumbles and a fresh Strawberry Honey Poppy Seed dressing.

I found the most beautiful pineapple at the grocery store last weekend. Yes, a week ago. It smelled lovely, but didn’t look quite ready yet. I set it on the counter with the bananas to ripen and this weekend, ah yes, it was ready!

When I cut into it this weekend, I was so taken with the juicy sweetness of this lovely pineapple, I couldn’t help but munch several bits of it as I chopped. I decided it needed to swim in a salad, paired it with some mandarin oranges, creamy goat cheese crumbles, crunchy toasted walnuts and then to top it all off, basil flowers. I grabbed the strawberry poppy seed dressing that I’d made last week, and I had a most satisfying salad. And then I rejoiced because there is yet more of this yummy pineapple left to eat.

I was amazed, once again, at how a simple fruit can bring so much pleasure and joy to my life.

Mandarin Pineapple Salad with Basil Flowers & Toasted Walnuts

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 15 minutes
• Yield: as many as you like!

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the Strawberry Honey Poppy Seed Dressing:

• 5 fresh or frozen strawberries
• 1/4 cup red wine or cider vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons local honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 teaspoons goat cheese (or cream cheese)
• 1 teaspoon poppy seeds

For the salad:

• Mixed spring greens or baby spinach
• Fresh ripe, sweet pineapple, peeled & chopped into small chunks
• Mandarin orange segments (fresh or canned)
• Goat cheese crumbles
• Toasted walnuts

For the top: Fresh basil flowers (if you have them)

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Instructions

1. For the dressing: in a handi chopper or food processor, blend together all the dressing ingredients except the poppy seeds until the strawberries are pureed and it’s all nice and smooth. Stir in the poppy seeds.
2. Make a nice bed of greens on your salad plate or bowl.
3. Tuck in fresh pineapple chunks and mandarin orange segments.
4. Sprinkle with goat cheese crumbles and toasted walnuts.
5. Drizzle with the dressing and enjoy!

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Notes

RECIPE SOURCE: http://www.sumptuousspoonfuls.com/

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This recipe was shared at Weekend Potluck, Munching Monday, Manic Monday, Melt in Your Mouth Monday, Recipe Sharing Monday, Marvelous Monday, Mix it Up Monday, Treasure Box Tuesday, Tuesday’s Table, Hearth & Soul Bloghop, The Gathering Spot and Buttercream Bakehouse Rainbow Party.