Aarti's Ugly Duckling Salad

Name: Aarti's Ugly Duckling Salad
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 serving(s)
Ingredients: 1/2 cup shelled pistachio nut, plus more for garnish; 1 -2 garlic clove, peeled and roughly chopped (use 2 only if you really like garlic!); 1 lemon, juiced; 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce (recommended ( Sriracha); about 1/2 cup hot water; kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper; 1/2 cup canola oil; splash good extra-virgin olive oil, for dressing; 1 (6 ounce) bag Baby Spinach; 1 fuji apple, cored and sliced; 1 celeriac, bulb peeled and grated (do this right before serving so it doesn't oxidize and turn brown); kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Submitted by ilovecookingsomuch

"Ugly Duckling Salad courtesy of Aarti Sequeira"

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Ready In:: 30mins
Ingredients:: 12
Serves:: 4

ingredients

Dressing
¹⁄₂ cup shelled pistachio nut, plus more for garnish
1 -2 garlic clove, peeled and roughly chopped (use 2 only if you really like garlic!)
1 lemon, juiced
¹⁄₂ teaspoon hot sauce (recommended ( Sriracha)
about 1/2 cup hot water
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
¹⁄₂ cup canola oil
splash good extra-virgin olive oil, for dressing
Salad
1 (6 ounce) bag Baby Spinach
1 fuji apple, cored and sliced
1 celeriac, bulb peeled and grated (do this right before serving so it doesn't oxidize and turn brown)
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

directions

Warm a small skillet over medium heat. Add pistachios, shaking the skillet frequently so that nuts don't burn. Toast until the pistachios turn a little brown. They should smell delicious too. Quickly remove the pan from the heat and transfer the nuts to a bowl; otherwise they'll keep cooking and burn.
Add the pistachios to a blender along with the garlic, half of the lemon juice, the hot sauce, if using, hot water, a sprinkle of salt and pepper and the canola oil. Blend until smooth. If it doesn't form a paste, add more water and more oil and blend until smooth. The consistency should be like a thin hummus; don't worry if you feel like you're adding a lot of oil. Taste and add a little extra-virgin olive oil and more lemon juice if you want more zing, which I recommend. It cuts the oils from the pistachios. Set aside once you're happy with it.
Wash the spinach and dry thoroughly, so the leaves can be coated with the dressing.
Toss the spinach, apple, and celeriac in a large serving bowl and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Pour 1/2 of the dressing over the salad and toss again. If you prefer more dressing, add it all, which I recommend. Let it sit for 5 minutes, then garnish with pistachios and serve.