Baby Spinach Salad With Dates and Almonds

For all who wonder, this is the best foolproof salad EVER! It is the kind of salad you start eating and then can't stop (Can salad really be like that?) I use left over pita from the Persian restaurant we frequent. Even days after, that pita works perfectly. I will say, storage for the pita chip mix is finicky. I stored it once for days, and then once the chips went soft. I think be sure to have an airtight container.

4th of July in Boston, so going to mkt not feasible, but really wanted to test this recipe. So ... needs must — substituted zaatar for sumac [it's mostly sumac anyway] and harissa for chile flakes. The result was total YUM!

This is wonderful, as are so many of the recipes in "Jerusalem." Instead of chopping almonds, I just buy slivered ones. And I don't quite use as much spinach, as I like a higher proportion of the date/onion mix.
Also use white wine vinegar (recipe here doesn't specify which to use, but book says "white"), which is partially seasoned rice vinegar.

Sumac has a lemon flavour so try some lemon zest

Excellent salad. Will definately make again. One minor change: I will cut the dates BOTH lengthwise and crosswise. We found the dates more enjoyable distributed a bit more evenly throughout the salad (by virtue of a somewhat smaller size.). The extra crisped pitas kept well overnight in a glass container as suggested by another reviewer and made for an excellent reprise of the salad the next night.

Really outstanding salad. I use Simply Naked pita chips and do not brown them or the almonds. I toast the almonds in the oven. I increase the olive oil in the dressing to 2 T. olive oil and add more lemon juice to 4 T.

Glass container for storage helps with both keeping the pitas crisp and not transferring off or stale flavors (as sometimes happens with plastic.)

LOVE this salad! For easy use throughout the week, store in 4 separate airtight containers: onions and apricots, lemon juice and olive oil and salt, pita and almonds, spinach. Then just mix together when ready to serve. I also cut the onions and spinach into smaller pieces, and did NOT substitute on the sumac (despite the need to go to 2 grocery stores for it). It is what makes this dish!

I've made this family favorite many times. I omit the hot pepper flakes. The recipe in Jerusalem calls for white wine vinegar. Some tartness carries into the salad, even after draining the onions, etc., so be careful with the lemon juice. As written, it can be too much. I add a small amount of lemon oil instead of the second T of lemon juice; great flavor, less pucker. It helps to split the pita before cooking. More pieces of crunch. I use sliced almonds. Easier than chopping.

I’m too lazy to fry pita so I use pita chips instead. Still delicious!

I used dried figs instead of dates - good choice, tastes delicious!

Realistically serves two, even as a side dish, = >700 calories per serving. Something this tasty can’t be guilt free, even if it is spinach. Had some Medjools in the fridge too long, mixed with mirin and red onion, turned into a divine jam after an hour of marinating. Mixed 1/4 cup of the jam on the spinach and saved the rest for another day. Naan bread in place of pita. Za’atar in place of sumac. Served with salmon and 1/2 roasted sweet potato, delicious.

Followed recipe except used lemon peel instead of sumac. Half way thru dinner we added handfuls more spinach since we had a lot of topping left. I would double the amount of spinach next time with just an extra splash of olive oil/lemon. My 17 yr old son declared this the best salad he'd ever eaten.

This was delicious! Next time I will add a little more spinach, but otherwise followed the recipe exactly.

This salad is awesome - I get asked to bring it to dinners. Slivered or sliced almonds work great. For pesach you can successfully substitute matzoh for pita. Pita is better but it still works.