My friend G has been talking about this for over a decade. I finally decided to try it one Shabbos. I realized that this is not a salad, but a showstopper! My family and guests had triples of it, and of course everyone was nibbling on the topping before, during, and after! I made it recently for the sheva brachos I hosted for my niece that was milchig. The topping was, well, over the top! Enjoy both versions!

Directions

Make the Crunch

Combine all nuts together in a small bowl. Melt margarine, brown sugar, and salt together in a large skillet. Add the nuts and mix together. Continue stirring, over medium heat, until nuts are coated and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Let sit in pan for about two minutes.

Pour out onto a piece of Gefen Parchment Paper, sprinkle with black pepper to taste, and mix together until coated. Set aside. (I suggest putting this by your neighbor or at least in the back of your fridge, or it will be gone. The sweet/salty/peppery combo is beyond!)

Combine all dressing ingredients in a small container and shake well. Pour over salad and toss together right before serving. Sprinkle topping over the salad and serve.

Notes:

I don’t recommend replacing the margarine with oil. Taste of crunch will be compromised. You can use butter-flavored margarine to enhance the flavor. Use butter for a milchig meal.

Variations:

For a lower-fat version of this salad, when I doubled the recipe I did as follows: 1/4 cup oil + 3/4 cup water, 3/4 cup vinegar, 3/4 cup sugar, and 1/3 cup soy sauce. Also I used 6 tablespoons margarine for the crunch rather than 1/2 cup. I present both versions for your convenience. The crunch can be made in advance and stored in the fridge.