Spinach Goat Cheese Salad (Printable Version)

Fresh spinach with creamy goat cheese, sweet cranberries, and crunchy candied pecans in a tangy balsamic vinaigrette.

# Ingredient List:

→ Salad

01 - 5 oz baby spinach leaves, washed and dried
02 - 3.5 oz goat cheese, crumbled
03 - ½ cup dried cranberries
04 - ¾ cup candied pecans, roughly chopped

→ Balsamic Vinaigrette

05 - 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
06 - 1½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar
07 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
08 - 1 teaspoon honey
09 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

# How to Prepare:

01 - In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper until emulsified. Set aside.
02 - In a large salad bowl, add the spinach leaves. Drizzle with half of the vinaigrette and toss gently to coat.
03 - Add the crumbled goat cheese, dried cranberries, and candied pecans to the salad.
04 - Drizzle over the remaining vinaigrette and toss lightly to combine.
05 - Serve immediately, garnished with extra pecans or cranberries if desired.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent an hour on it, but you'll be eating in twenty minutes flat.
  • The textures keep every bite interesting, crunchy, creamy, chewy all at once.
  • It works as a side or a full meal depending on how hungry you are.
  • You can prep the components ahead and toss it together right before serving.
02 -
  • Wet spinach will dilute your vinaigrette and make the salad watery, so spin it dry or pat it with a clean towel before you start.
  • If you dress the salad too far in advance, the spinach wilts and the pecans lose their crunch, so toss it right before serving.
  • Goat cheese straight from the fridge crumbles cleanly, but if it warms up it turns into a sticky mess on your fingers.
03 -
  • Toast raw pecans with a little butter and brown sugar in a skillet if you don't have candied ones, it takes five minutes and tastes just as good.
  • If your balsamic vinegar is too sharp, add an extra half teaspoon of honey to mellow it out without making it cloying.
  • Crumble the goat cheese over the salad at the very end so it stays in nice chunks instead of turning into a creamy coating.
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