Spinach Goat Cheese Salad (Printable version)

Fresh spinach with creamy goat cheese, tart cranberries, crunchy candied pecans, and balsamic vinaigrette. Vegetarian and gluten-free.

# What You'll Need:

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

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes fancy but comes together faster than ordering takeout, and youll look like you planned it all week.
  • Every bite has a little surprise: sweet, tangy, creamy, crunchy, all at once without fighting each other.
  • You can prep the components ahead and toss it together right before serving, so theres no wilted sadness happening on your counter.
02 -
  • Dry your spinach completely after washing or the vinaigrette will slide right off and pool at the bottom, I learned this the soggy way.
  • Add the goat cheese just before serving if you want it to stay crumbly, otherwise it softens and melts into the greens which is also delicious but a different vibe.
  • Dont toss the salad too early, it gets sad and limp within ten minutes of dressing, so wait until the last possible second.
03 -
  • Bring the goat cheese to room temperature before crumbling, it breaks apart more easily and tastes creamier on your tongue.
  • Toast plain pecans for two minutes in a dry skillet before adding them if you skipped the candied step, it wakes up their flavor completely.
  • Use your hands to toss the salad instead of tongs, you can feel when its evenly dressed and youre less likely to bruise the spinach.
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