Dede’s Spinach Salad with ‘Gwen’ Salad Dressing

This dressing came from ‘Gwen’, a winter neighbor of my (Roane County born) grandparent’s where they rented a cottage in Tavares, Florida in the 60’s. I didn’t discover that it was perfect for a Spinach Salad when warmed until I threw it in the microwave one day several years ago. Wow! Originally, the onion was hand-grated, and they kept the dressing in well-washed dish liquid bottles – the only squeeze bottles available at the time (and my family wonders where my recycling compulsion comes from).

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: several

Ingredients

Dressing:
1 cup salad oil
1 cup sugar
1 small onion (size of an egg)
1/3 cup ketchup
1 tsp. salt (I skip this – plenty in the ketchup)
1/3 cup vinegar
1 tsp. celery seed

Salad:
Raw leaf spinach – Clean and dry and tear into large pieces

Add your favorites:
Chopped hard boiled eggs
Sweet onion
Crumbled bacon
Raw mushrooms
sunflower kernels (optional)

Directions

Cut up onion into food processor or blender (or grate very finely). Add oil, blend until onion is in tiny bits. Add sugar & ketchup & salt. Blend well. Drizzle vinegar slowly into mixture as you blend. Add celery seed. Blend well. Refrigerate. Great cold.

OR

Warm dressing on stove top or in microwave & drizzle over salad ingredients to wilt slightly.

Toss well.

Categories: Dressings, Lettuce & Greens, Salads, Vegetable Salads

Submitted by: wvhomecanner on June 6, 2010