Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad with Tangy Balsamic
Ingredients
Salad
- 4 cups fresh spinach leaves
- 1 cup strawberries quartered
- 2 oz goat cheese (or feta)
- 1 handful candied pecans
Candied Pecans
- 1 and 2/3 cup pecans raw
- 1/3 cup maple syrup pure
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
Tangy Balsamic Dressing
- 1/2 cup olive oil extra virgin
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 and a half Tbsp honey
- 1 Tbsp dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
Instructions
Candied Pecans
- To make the candied pecans, simply add all ingredients to a large skillet. Stir to combine and turn the stove on to medium.
- Allow the mixture to start bubbling and stir very frequently with a silicone spoon. After 4-5 minutes when you notice the mixture beginning to thicken, reduce the heat to low-medium.
- Continue stirring so that the syrup doesn't burn. The mixture will start to thicken and get sticky. Keep going and stirring frequently until the coating on the nuts begins to crystallize. This process will take about 12-15 minutes.
- Remove nuts from heat and transfer to parchment paper to cool before adding to salad.
Salad Assembly
- First make the tangy balsamic dressing. Combine all ingredients in a medium sized bowl and whisk vigorously until the dressing is smooth and combined.
- Add spinach to a large mixing bowl and toss with desired amount of dressing. Not too much, not too little is the way to go.
- Once the spinach is coated, either add the goat cheese, pecans, and strawberries to the bowl and mix it together or transfer to individual bowls and add toppings.
- Serve and enjoy!