Strawberry Arugula Salad With Candied Walnuts

This lighter weather has us thinking more lighter foods — like this delicious Strawberry Arugula Salad with Candied Walnuts from The View From Great Island. We’ll be whipping up a big batch of this for the weekend (and may/may not continue indulging as the weeks progress!) 😋

Ingredients
4 handfuls of fresh arugula
Fresh strawberries (about 12), hulled and halved
About 1/2 cup crumbled sheep's milk feta cheese

For the walnuts:
1 cup walnut halves
3 Tbsp brown sugar
Pinch salt
1 tsp butter

For the dressing:
1/3 cup walnut oil or any oil you prefer
3 Tbsp white balsamic vinegar
1 tsp hot pepper flakes, or use more to your taste
1 tsp honey
1/2 tsp Colemans mustard
Salt to taste
 

Instructions
1. To make the caramel walnuts, put the nuts, sugar, butter, and salt into a small sauté pan and heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until everything melts and coats the walnuts. Turn them out onto parchment or foil to cool.
2. Make the dressing by putting all the ingredients into a small jar and use an immersion blender to emulsify into a smooth dressing. You can also do this in a small food processor, or with a whisk, but an immersion blender is perfect. Be sure to taste the dressing to adjust the ingredients to your liking.
3. To assemble the salad lay the arugula in a wide shallow salad bowl, and top with the strawberries. Crumble the feta over everything.
4. Give the walnuts a rough chop and add them to the salad. Dress, toss, and serve.