Recipe Courtesy of Louisiana Kitchen & Culture Magazine
Best if made with ripe Louisiana strawberries and Louisiana roasted pecans of course (wink—wink), this stunning warm weather salad is a bright addition to any dinner or lunch menu. Tender baby spinach leaves tossed with roasted pecans, sliced red onions, creamy crumbled goat cheese and sliced berries alone is a wonderful salad base, but the real kicker comes with the homemade roasted strawberry vinaigrette. A puree of strawberries, Dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar, honey and olive oil, this smooth yet tangy yet sweet dressing really adds that ‘wow’ factor to this scrumptious and healthy salad idea.
(To view this recipe, click on the blue title of the blog post above*)
‘Baby Spinach & Strawberry Salad’
Ingredients:
- Recipe Courtesy of Louisiana Kitchen & Culture Magazine*
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
- 1 lb. baby spinach, tough stems discarded
- 1 cup sliced strawberries
- 1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans
- 4 oz. fresh goat cheese, crumbled
- For the strawberry vinaigrette (Makes 1 1/2 cups):
- 8 oz. strawberries, hulled and washed
- 1/4 cup quality balsamic vinegar, or more to taste
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 shallot, minced
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Directions:
- Soak onions in ice water for 20 minutes. Wash and dry spinach; transfer to salad bowl. Drain onions and add to bowl; add strawberries, pecans and goat cheese. Dress with vinaigrette as desired.
- For the vinaigrette: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place berries in a small baking dish; transfer to oven and bake until they soften and begin to caramelize, 15-20 minutes. Transfer to the bowl of a blender, along with pan juices. Add vinegar, honey, mustard, shallot and salt and pepper; process until smooth. With the machine running, slowly drizzle in the oil; taste and adjust seasoning.
Tagged: baby spinach, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, goat cheese, honey, Louisiana Kitchen and Culture, pecans, Salad, spinach and strawberry salad, spinach salad, strawberries, strawberry balsamic vinaigrette, strawberry vinaigrette, toasted pecans
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