This salad can be as lean or as decadent as you please. If you want to keep it lean, just use hot apple cider vinegar to wilt the spinach. You can always whisk in honey, Dijon mustard and extra virgin olive oil to the dressing if you think it’s necessary to please the crowd you are serving, but I personally don’t think it’s necessary. Why? Because dried cranberries add more than enough sweetness IMHO. And the chopped walnuts add the “heaviness” of oil by bringing healthy fats, protein and micro nutrients. But you know your audience and since it’s the holiday, you can be the judge. Just be aware that the honey adds sugar, the mustard has salt, and the olive oil brings a lot of extra calories without any nutrients. You decide!
This salad can be thrown together at the last minute because it only takes about five minutes to put together. Just heat up the vinegar, toss it in a bowl with the spinach to make it wilt, and top with remaining ingredients right before serving. Easy!
Ingredients (makes 4 servings, but can be easily scaled for a larger crowd)
6 ounce bag of baby spinach
4 tablespoons chopped walnuts
4 tablespoons dried cranberries
1 small shallot – thinly sliced
1 cup frozen edamame – thawed under hot running water or in the microwave
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon honey – optional
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard – optional
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil – optional
Directions
- Prepare the chopped walnuts, dried cranberries, sliced shallots and thawed edamame and set aside.
- Warm the apple cider vinegar in a small sauce pan over medium heat until it comes to a boil, then remove from heat.
- Option 1 (lean version): place the baby spinach in a large mixing bowl and drizzle the hot vinegar over the top and quickly stir it together until the spinach wilts, but doesn’t cook or become mushy. Place on serving plates or in a serving bowl and toss with the walnuts, cranberries, edamame and shallots. Serve warm.
- Option 2 (hearty version): mix the hot vinegar with honey, Dijon mustard and extra virgin olive oil. Pour over the spinach and mix until wilted. Add in the walnuts, cranberries, edamame and shallots and mix until well coated. Serve warm.
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