This salad is light and refreshing, and the pecan crunch really makes it over-the-top with its hint of sweetness and texture — your guests will love it!
Makes: 6-8 salads
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients
For the pecans:
- 56 g / 1/4 cup Crystal margarine, melted and cooled
- 100 g / 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 108 g / 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 3 g / 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 3 g / 1 tsp. sea salt
- 340 g / 4 cups pecan halves, unsalted
- 1 egg white, whisked
For the salad:
- 1 bunch arugula, rinsed, drained, patted dry
- 900 g / 4 cups red seedless grapes, rinsed, patted dry, and halved
- 200 g / 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
- 177 ml / 3/4 cups full fat sour cream
- salt, to taste
Directions
- Preheat oven to 150°C / 300°F.
- Add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and margarine to a large bowl. Toss until evenly combined. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, add pecans and egg white, and gently toss until combined and the pecans are evenly coated. Add in the sugar mixture, and toss until combined.
- Spread the mixture out in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. If your baking sheet is not that large, you may need to split the batch onto two baking sheets. Bake for about 40 minutes, removing the nuts and giving them a stir every 20 minutes, until the pecans are fragrant and the sugar coating is cooked. (The sugar will harden more once the pecans are out of the oven.)
- Remove from the oven, and let the baking sheet cool on a cooling rack until the nuts reach room temperature. Transfer them to a sealed container and store until ready to use.
- In a large bowl, combine all of the salad ingredients and toss with the nuts. Serve immediately.
Chef Notes
- These pecans can go great with everything from green salads and entrées, to dessert.
- If you have leftover pecans, reserve them in an airtight container for up to 10 days.
