Whether it's the overdone combination of gorgonzola and greens or the excessively fruity vinaigrette, I don't usually spring for spinach salads. However, when I saw Le Etiana's recipe, I was suddenly interested. Her dressing contains poppyseeds, which add extra texture. The cheese is a grated, mild Swiss, not the crumbled blue cheese I'm so tired of seeing in my salads. The candied walnuts add a subtle hint of roasted sweetness. 
Thanks to her appetizing recipe (and photo!) I think I'm ready to give spinach salads another chance. To see how she whipped up this healthy creation and check out the pictures of the beautiful table she served the salad on, read more.
Submitted by TeamSugar member Le Etiana
Salad recipe — passed on from a dear friend.
Poppy-Seed Dressing and Candied Walnuts — The Domestic Art Patricia Schocker Wright
This is one of my favourite salads to serve at a dinner party. It's not only yummy but adds a burst of colour to the menu. Because the dressing is zippy I like to serve the salad with a simple pasta and chicken so that the flavours aren't competing with one another. I always hope there's some leftovers for me to enjoy later the next day but it's such a hit there's never even so much as a nibble of anything left! This recipe serves 8.
Ingredients
Salad:
* 2 good size bundles of fresh spinach
* 1 pound of grated Swiss cheese
* bag of dried cranberries
* candied walnuts
* poppy-seed dressing
Poppy-Seed Dressing:
* 1 1/4 tablespoons poppy seeds
* 3/4 cup of vinegar
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
* 3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
* 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
Candied Walnuts:
* 6 tablespoons of light corn syrup
* 3 tablespoons of sugar
* 1 teaspoon of salt
* 2 1/2 cups of walnuts
Directions
Spinach Salad:
I make each person's salad individually rather than mix it all together. It's one of those salads that you want to have a certain amount of each ingredient for it to be yummy. I serve the dressing on the side in a small jug. Put spinach on the plate, sprinkle grated cheese, then the dried cranberries, and finally the candied walnuts.
Poppy-Seed Dressing:
Mix everything together in the blender and serve. Dressing lasts up to 3 weeks in the fridge but I never have any left over!
Candied Walnuts:
Preheat over to 325 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine corn syrup, sugar, and salt. Add nuts and toss well to coat. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet that has been coated with cooking spray. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown, stirring every 5 minutes - just make sure they don't burn. Immediately scoop nuts onto a sheet of foil. Spread nuts apart to cool thoroughly.
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Tomster
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Nine West
sounds yummy!
1What a beautiful photo! Also, I'm with you, Yum: I'm so over candied walnuts with blue cheese. Combining them with poppyseeds and swiss cheese is very novel
2I've done something similar with asiago because I don't care for blue and asiago has such a great texture/nuttiness (the swiss is nutty too but is softer, nice option).
3So fun to see my recipe here! Thanks for sharing it on YumSugar
This salad is so
delish, I hope some of the Sugar readers try it, they won't be disappointed.
4Looks delicious, Le E! And great pics! :honor:
5I'm sleeping.
That's what I meant to give you: 
6I love this recipe - as soon as I made it, my teenage boys devoured it lock stock and barrel. If Le E can get a teenager to eat Spinach, you know this recipe is a WINNER!
7o see i love spinach salad with walnuts and blue cheese... but i have to admit this looks yummy too!
8love it- yay Le E!
9Yum! Spinach salad is my favorite.
10I want to know what else was on the menu, that table looks gorgeous!
11My kids, hubby & I love a good spinach salad. The photo looks scrumptious. This is going to my favorites. Thanks for the recipe.
12Thanks partysugar
I served it with a yummy but simple chicken and pasta with white
sauce (we won't say the word Alfredo *lol*) fresh asparagus - delish, and french bread from a local bakery, everyone had their own little loaf, hence the reason for the individual butter
dishes. It was a collective birthday dinner party so I gave each person a gift, wrapped them in ivory and blue and put them on their plates as a placecard. For dessert, I made a classic three
layer chocolate cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side. Good food, great friends and lively conversation - you can't get much better than that!
13This looks so good!
14I definitely want to print this out and try it! I love this type of salad. Thank you for sharing Le E!
15Your party sounds like it was amazing!
16Omg, the party sounds like so much fun!! Thanks for sharing with us. You should post the "not" alfredo recipe.
17I'm a big big fan of a salad with fruits, nuts and cheese - but I'm not too keen on Swiss so I think I'll just stick to yummy, crumbly, creamy blue!
18I can't wait to try this salad...it looks so delicious.
As you know, I've already stolen your idea for the beautiful flowers in the square vase.
Mine
didn't look nearly as lovely as yours though...you have that special Le E touch! 
19I made this a couple months ago & everyone loved it!
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