![Mashed Potato Latkes With Dill and Shallots](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2015/12/02/dining/02LATKES/02LATKES-mediumThreeByTwo440.jpg?width=1280&quality=75&auto=webp)
Spinach Salad With Mushrooms and Hibiscus Flower Vinaigrette
- Total Time
- 15 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
- 2tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1garlic clove
- 2teaspoons sugar, or to taste
- 1teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
- ½teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- ½cup vegetable oil
- ½cup olive oil
- ¾cup dried hibiscus flowers, also known as Jamaica flowers (see note)
- 18 to 20ounces spinach leaves, rinsed, drained and thickly sliced
- 1pound white or brown button mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
- 6thinly sliced scallions, white and light green parts only
- ¾cup caramelized almonds (see recipe)
For the Vinaigrette
For the Salad
Preparation
For the Vinaigrette
- Step 1
For vinaigrette: Two days before serving, prepare vinaigrette. In a blender, combine vinegar, lime juice, garlic, sugar, salt and pepper. Process until smooth. With motor at lowest possible speed, add vegetable oil and olive oil in a thin stream until emulsified, about 10 seconds.
- Step 2
Add hibiscus flowers and allow to soften in liquid for a couple of minutes, then process until roughly chopped. Pour into a container, cover, and refrigerate for 2 days to 1 week.
- Step 3
For salad: In a large salad bowl, combine spinach, mushrooms and scallions. Add vinaigrette to taste (all may not be needed), and toss gently. Sprinkle with almonds and serve.
- Dried hibiscus flowers are available from mexgrocer.com, (877) 463-9476; $3.95 plus shipping for 8 ounces.
Private Notes
Cooking Notes
Five star delicious! I'm a stickler for trying each NYT recipe as written the first round. But occasionally I have to improvise. There are tons of hibiscus plants around my little Greek village, but March is way out of season. Also my wife loves spinach salads but is allergic to almonds. I was able to get a good approximation with a teaspoon of hibiscus agave syrup and candied walnuts. The almonds would have been more subtle, but the syrup seemed to work as expected to get a flowery taste.
It doesn’t sound like much when you read the recipe but this salad is delightfully satisfying. Plenty of flavors and textures, especially considering there are so few ingredients. Will definitely make again.
Instead of whole almonds I used sliced almonds and toasted them with a little sugar and olive oil in a pan on the stove.
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