Spinach Goat Cheese Salad (Printer-friendly)

Fresh spinach with creamy goat cheese, tart cranberries, and crunchy candied pecans tossed in balsamic vinaigrette.

# What You'll Need:

→ Salad

01 - 5 oz baby spinach leaves, washed and dried
02 - 3.5 oz goat cheese, crumbled
03 - 1/2 cup dried cranberries
04 - 3/4 cup candied pecans, roughly chopped

→ Balsamic Vinaigrette

05 - 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
06 - 1.5 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
07 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
08 - 1 teaspoon honey
09 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

# How To Make It:

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 - Transfer to serving plates immediately, garnished with extra pecans or cranberries if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in the time it takes to set the table, no oven or stove stress required.
  • The creamy goat cheese melts just slightly into the warm spots of spinach, creating little pockets of tangy richness.
  • Every bite has a different texture: soft, crunchy, chewy, and it never gets boring.
  • You can serve it to guests or eat it straight from the bowl in your pajamas, both feel right.
02 -
  • Always dry your spinach completely after washing, wet leaves repel the dressing and make everything taste watery.
  • Add the goat cheese just before serving, if it sits too long it gets warm and loses that perfect creamy crumble.
  • Don't toss the salad until everyone is seated, once dressed it starts to wilt within minutes.
03 -
  • Toast your own pecans with a little butter and brown sugar if you can't find candied ones, it takes five minutes and tastes incredible.
  • Let the vinaigrette sit for ten minutes before using it, the flavors marry and mellow in a way that makes everything taste more intentional.
  • Use a salad spinner, seriously, it's the one tool that makes the biggest difference in how well the dressing clings.
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