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Sometimes in cooking, simple, fresh, and healthy is the very best way to go. Nothing encapsulates that concept better than this beautifully simple yet elegant spinach and strawberry salad.
The homemade balsamic vinaigrette is tossed with spinach, feta, pecans, cucumbers, and red onions to make a delightfully refreshing salad. The acidic dressing plays particularly well with the sweet strawberries, sharp red onions, creamy and briny feta cheese, and nutty pecans.
With the nuts and the cheese, this salad is actually surprisingly filling; it will leave you with a perfect level of satisfaction, full but not groggy and bogged down.
This recipe is an excellent example of how making a delicious homemade vinaigrette can bring new and exciting life to your salad-eating. When you use wonderful fresh ingredients and introduce just a little bit of technique, salads do not have to be boring, obligatory vegetarian food.
With this salad, feel free to add any extra ingredients that may not be listed in the recipe. Perhaps cut up some carrots, radishes, or apples. Maybe throw some dried cranberries in there.
If you desire something a little more substantial, chickpeas, cooked quinoa, and cooked lentils are all great choices. The simple flavor combinations of this dish are terrific but feel free to really make it your own.
Making Salads
Salads are obviously one of the simplest and easiest things to make in the kitchen but there are a couple little tricks that can be employed to make them that much more delicious. One such trick is to season the greens before dressing them.
The dressing obviously has seasoning in it, but it can be very spread out and might not inject quite enough flavor into the salad itself. So, when you have all the salad ingredients in the bowl, lightly season them with a little bit of salt and pepper, stir them around, and then dress them. You will be amazed at how much better your salad will taste with a little pre-seasoning.
Another tactic thats good to utilize is chilling the salad bowls before using them. It sounds a little over-the-top but if you simply stack the bowls youre planning on serving the salads in and keep them in the fridge for 20 minutes before you serve them, the salad will be much better and more refreshing.
Salad should be cold, and a chilled bowl will keep all the salad ingredients crisper and more fresh. If you have any remaining spinach after making this salad check out this recipe for spinach risotto.
Spinach and Strawberry Salad with Feta, Pecans and Balsamic Vinaigrette
A beautifully simple dish with perfectly paired flavors make this sweet, tangy, salty and nutty salad a treat. You'll never buy salad dressing again once you learn to make this easy, tasty vinaigrette.
Ingredients
Balsamic Vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup dark balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp honey
- 2 cloves garlic (, grated)
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Strawberry Salad
- 8 oz fresh spinach leaves (, (226 grams))
- 1 small red onion (, thinly sliced)
- 1 English cucumber (, cut into thin half-moons)
- 1 pint fresh strawberries (, rinsed and thinly sliced (452 grams))
- 6 oz whole pecans (, (170 grams))
- 4 oz feta cheese (, crumbled (113 grams))
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions
- Combine the balsamic vinegar, mustard, honey, and garlic in a medium-sized bowl. Whisk together to combine. Be sure the bowl is placed on top of a folded towel to prevent it from sliding around as you whisk.
- Use a measuring cup, squeeze bottle, or small pitcher to begin slowly streaming the oil into the bowl. As you stream the oil into the bowl, whisk constantly with your other hand. Continue whisking the oil in a slow, steady stream while whisking constantly until all of the oil is incorporated. It should be a semi-thick, homogenous mixture. Season the dressing to taste with salt and pepper. (If the mixture breaks, start over with 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard in a clean bowl and slowly stream the broken mixture into the mustard.)
- Combine all the ingredients for the salad in a mixing bowl. Season the greens with a little salt and pepper and pour the dressing in the bowl. Mix all the ingredients together and serve.
Notes
Substitutions
cup brown balsamic vinegar: cup white balsamic, white wine, red wine, or apple cider vinegar.
6 ounces pecans: 6 ounces almonds, walnuts, pistachios, or pine nuts.
8 ounces fresh spinach leaves: 8 ounces baby kale, mixed greens, arugula, or romaine lettuce.
4 ounces feta cheese: 4 ounces crumbled goat cheese or grated parmesan cheese.
2 teaspoons honey: 2 teaspoons sugar
1 red onion: 1 white onion.
cup olive oil: cup canola or vegetable oil
Looking for another salad? Check out this delicious Traditional Greek Salad with Lemon-Herb Vinaigrette recipe.
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