I know there are a bunch of recipes going around right now for the holidays that are a little on the, well… indulgent side (to say the least).  Not that there is anything wrong with that at all, but I know personally my body starts to hate me after eating lots of heavy foods.  I usually try to put out a good balance between indulgent & healthier recipes during the holidays, to give some balance & hopefully help you not feel like a complete garbage human as I typically do, haha.  This one is on the healthier side, and y’all… It’s seriously the best salad dressing I’ve ever made, I could eat it alone with a spoon.  It’s a super easy recipe to create, so let’s get right into it!

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This dressing only takes a couple of minutes to make, and seriously is so good on almost anything.  I’ve created multiple salads using this, have put it on sandwiches, and have even used it as a pasta sauce.

First you’ll want to toast your walnuts in a dry pan over medium heat, just until fragrant.  This should take a few minutes, but make sure you’re shaking the pan around frequently because you don’t want them to burn!  Once they’re fragrant and toasty, add them to a blender along with your celery leaves, garlic, shallot, maple syrup, sherry vinegar, apple cider vinegar, salt, & pepper and blend until smooth.  Once that’s ready to go, mix your olive oil & walnut oil together in a liquid measuring cup, and with the blender running on medium speed- slowly drizzle in the oil until its completely emulsified.  This will help the dressing not split immediately, and it makes it nice and creamy.

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I recommend chilling the vinaigrette in the fridge for a bit before using, just because it might be a little warm from blending / the toasted walnuts.  But it’s totally up to you!  Like I said, this really goes great on just about everything- but my personal favorite is a big salad full of mixed greens, Granny Smith apples, vegan cheddar cheese, dried cherries, and chopped toasted walnuts.  The dressing really compliments the flavors of the salad ingredients & makes for a super healthy & delicious as all fuck meal.

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As always, I LOVE LOVE LOVE seeing y’all recreate my recipes, so make sure to tag me on instagram @plvntfood or #plvntfood so I can see them & share them!! Thank y’all so much for the endless support… I couldn’t thank you enough for being the best fucking group of people on the internet just giving ya girl all the love over food.  I really hope you guys enjoy this recipe, and if you use it in anything other than a salad, PLEASE SHARE! xx


Toasted Walnut Vinaigrette

Toasted Walnut Vinaigrette is the perfect seasonal & tangy dressing for so many different salads.   With very few ingredients & time needed to make this, you're gonna want to put it on everything! 

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 2 minutes
Total Time 7 minutes
Author PLVNTFOOD by Chef Brianna Gallo

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup walnuts
  • 1 tbsp celery leaves
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 tbsp fresh shallot
  • 1/3 cup maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup sherry vinegar
  • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup walnut oil
  • 1 1/2 cups extra virgin olive oil
  • salt / pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. In a dry pan over medium heat, add your walnuts.  Toast gently until just fragrant, then add to a blender with all of your other ingredients except the walnut & olive oil. 

  2. Once blended, turn the blender on medium speed, and while its running, drizzle in both the walnut oil & olive oil slowly until the vinaigrette is completely emulsified.  This will also help it become nice and creamy.  

  3. Serve on top of your favorite salad.  My favorite combination to go with this vinaigrette is mixed greens, granny smith apple, vegan cheddar cheese, dried cherries, & chopped toasted walnuts. 

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