Baby Bok Choy Salad

This crunchy salad is from my friend, Louie. The dressing keeps very well in the cupboard, and the quantities for it shown here are enough for three or four batches of salad. The cooking time includes toasting the almonds and pine nuts. Jen -- a reviewer -- is right. This salad is better if it is dressed a while before it is served. But wait to add the crispy noodles just before serving. Leftovers of this get a bit soggy overnight, but are still quite nice the next day.

• Ready In: 18 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• Dressing (enough for several batches of salad)

• 1  cup  vegetable oil
• 1⁄2 cup  balsamic vinegar
• 1⁄4 cup soy sauce
• 2  teaspoons caster sugar (or more, depending on your sweet tooth)

• Salad

• 1  bunch baby bok choy (about 1 pound)
• 4 -6  green onions (or more, depending on your love of onions)
• 1⁄4 cup  slivered almonds
• 1⁄4 cup pine nuts
• 1⁄2-1  cup  crisp chow mein noodles (Chang's Original Fried Noodles in Australia)

Directions

1. Combine all dressing ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake well. Set aside until needed.
2. Toast slivered almonds in a small pan. After about 1 minute, add the pine nuts and continue to toast both ingredients. Stir constantly so these don't burn. When nice browned, remove from pan and set aside to cool.
3. Chop bok choy in 1-inch pieces. Wash well to remove grit. Spin dry, or roll in a tea towel to dry.
4. Trim green onions and chop (on the diagonal) into 1-inch pieces (use both white and green bits).
5. Toss together bok choy, sliced onions, toasted nuts and several very generous sloshes of dressing. Try to dress this at least an hour before it will be served.
6. Sprinkle crisp chow mein noodles on top, stir well and serve.