Baby Spinach, Walnut & Pomegranate Salad

This bright, punchy salad is perfect to lighten up a New Years Day spread.

📝 Ingredients

• 1 tbsp White Wine Vinegar
• 1/2 Red Onion, very thinly sliced
• 30 g (1oz) Unsalted Butter
• 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 Small or 1 Large Wholemeal Pitta Bread, torn into small-ish pieces
• 50 g (2oz) Walnut Halves
• 25 g (1oz) Walnut Pieces
• 2 tsp Sumac
• 1/2 tsp Dried Chilli (Red Pepper) Flakes
• 150 g (5.5oz) Baby Spinach Leaves
• 2 tbsp Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice (Roughly 1/2 a lemon)
• Seeds of 1/2 Pomegranate
• Sea Salt (I use French Breton Fleur de Sel)

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Heat the butter and half of the olive oil in a large frying pan and add the torn pitta and the walnuts. Fry over a medium to high heat for about five to six minutes until the pitta pieces are golden brown at the edges and crunchy, and the walnuts are toasted but not burnt.
2. 2Remove from the heat, and toss through 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt, chilli flakes and the sumac. Set aside to cool.
3. 3Place the onion slices in a small bowl with the vinegar and another 1/4 teaspoon of salt and set aside for 20 minutes. Drain away the excess vinegar, and set aside.
4. 4When you are ready to serve, mix together the remaining tablespoon of olive oil the lemon juice and and a large pinch of the salt in the bottom of a large serving bowl.
5. 5Toss through the spinach so all of the leaves are well coated then add the onions, pitta and nut mix, and most of the pomegranate seeds, setting aside a small handful.
6. 6Toss everything together again and sprinkle the remaining pomegranate seeds across the top of the salad. Serve immediately.