Name: Rosaura's Festive Salad
Cook time: 2 hr
Total time: 2 hr
Yield: Serves 12
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon soy sauce; 1/3 cup cider vinegar; 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules; 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried; 1 teaspoon dried oregano; 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives; 1/2 cup safflower oil; 1 cup vegetable oil; 2 cups (1/3-inch cubes) firm white sandwich bread; 2 bunches spinach (1 1/2 pound), stems discarded and leaves cut crosswise into 1/2-inch strips; 1 1/2 pounds red cabbage, finely shredded; 1/2 medium jícama (3/4 pound), cut into very fine julienne; 3 medium raw beets, peeled and cut into very fine julienne; 1 medium red onion, halved lengthwise, very thinly sliced lengthwise, and soaked in cold water 20 minutes; 1/2 cup chopped candied citron or candied pineapple (4 oz); 3/4 cup puffed amaranth seeds (optional)

We adapted this gorgeous salad, full of intriguing flavors and textures and so colorful it looks like a fireworks display, from a recipe that Mexican chef María Dolores Torres Yzábal contributed to México, The Beautiful Cookbook.

Cooks' notes:

•We used a Japanese slicer, set at 1/16 inch, to shred the cabbage and slice the onion, j‭cama, and beets. We then cut the j‭cama and beet slices into julienne strips by hand.
•The vegetables and vinaigrette may be prepared 1 day ahead and chilled separately in plastic bags. The croutons are best made the day of the party.

Recipe notes

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