Sweet & Sour Salad

This Sweet & Sour Salad has the perfect amount of tang and the perfect amount of sweet!

I originally shared this recipe in July of 2010.  It was one of the dishes I had served at my mom’s 80th birthday party.  It was such a fun party and had a vintage theme to it.

If you would like to check out the rest of the menu and the decor head on over  to the party post here.  You can  check out the recipes for some of the other food I served here – quiche, pink lemonade cake, and salads

Today’s salad recipe was a nice addition to the salad buffet at the party.

It is also an easy one to add chicken to and make into a main dish.  I did not use chicken in it for the luncheon. The recipe also calls for cheese but I forgot to add it for these photos!  But you should add it.

The dressing has a nice sweet and tangy flavor to it.

For the party I used grapes but it also works well with mandarin oranges and pineapple or you could use all three.

The recipe also calls for bacon or ham.  I used bacon.

I prepped as much as I could the day before.  Cut up the onions, the fruit, cooked the bacon, sliced the mushrooms,grated the cheese and made the dressing.  It only took a few minutes before the party to throw it all together. The only thing I cut up at the last minute was the avocado which I didn’t want to turn brown.  The recipe calls for a combination of lettuce and spinach.

Since I was doing all the food for the party myself I needed to have as little last minute prep as possible.  I made all 3 quiches the day before and just kept them refrigerated and made as much of the salads as I could the day before.

The cake was made the week before and frozen.  I got up early the morning of the party and frosted it.  The cupcakes were made the day before and I just frosted them the morning of.  All the advance work really helped me avoid that last minute chaos and panic that can happen before an event.  I also had my kitchen helper, my daughter Tessa, who was a huge help

Do you have a favorite salad you enjoy in the summer time?  Please share the recipe or leave a link to a post with the recipe in the comments!  I need a few new summer salad ideas.  Be sure and check out all the fun details from the party.

This recipe has no exact amounts.  Just use as much as you like – it’s the combination of all the yummy ingredients that make it so good.  If there is something you don’t like – leave it out.  If there is something you really like – use more of it!  Make it your own and enjoy!

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Sweet & Sour Salad

Course Salad

Author Leigh Anne Wilkes

Ingredients

• Lettuce and spinach washed and torn into pieces
• Mushrooms fresh and thinly sliced
• Sweet Onions purple, thinly sliced
• Avocado sliced in small pieces
• Bacon or ham cooked and cut into small pieces
• Swiss cheese grated
• Fruit: grapes mandarin oranges or pineapple (fresh or canned, drained)
• Sweet & Sour Dressing
• Heaping 1/2 C sugar 5/8 to be exact
• 1 tsp dry mustard
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/3 C white vinegar
• 1 C canola oil
• 1 1/2 tsp poppy seeds

Instructions

• Blend all ingredients except poppy seeds together
• Then add poppy seeds
• Add dressing to lettuce/spinach at the last minute and toss gently

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