Spinach and Berry Salad Bowl (Printable Version)

Fresh spinach meets sweet berries and tangy goat cheese in this colorful bowl

# Ingredient List:

→ Salad

01 - 5 oz fresh baby spinach
02 - 3.5 oz mixed fresh berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries)
03 - 2 oz goat cheese, crumbled
04 - 1.75 oz toasted walnuts or pecans, roughly chopped
05 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced (optional)

→ Vinaigrette

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

# Steps:

01 - Wash and dry the spinach leaves and berries thoroughly to remove any moisture.
02 - In a large salad bowl, combine the spinach, berries, goat cheese, nuts, and red onion if using.
03 - In a small bowl or jar, whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper until emulsified.
04 - Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad just before serving.
05 - Toss gently to combine and serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in the time it takes to make coffee, no cooking required just chopping and tossing.
  • The goat cheese melts slightly against the warm spinach if you let it sit for a moment, creating little pockets of creaminess that feel indulgent.
  • You can make the vinaigrette while your water boils for tea, and it keeps for days in a jar in your fridge.
02 -
  • If you dress the salad too early, the spinach wilts and loses that fresh crunch that makes this salad what it is.
  • Goat cheese doesn't need to be expensive to be good in a salad, but it does need to be fresh because old goat cheese tastes sharp in a way that overwhelms everything else.
03 -
  • If your salad tastes flat, it's probably not enough salt and vinegar, so start with less and keep tasting because you can always add more.
  • Slightly warm spinach from sitting on the counter actually absorbs the vinaigrette better than cold spinach straight from the fridge, so don't be afraid to let it sit for five minutes.
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