Spinach Salad
There are about as many ingredient variations to make delicious and healthy spinach salads as there are for hamburgers using different meats and condiment toppings. It is enough to boggle the mind with extraordinarily different flavors. And when you are hungry believe me they all sound good.
This is our take on a delicious and healthy spinach salad we did for the holidays and guests seemed to really enjoy the variety, freshness and the tart flavor of the dressing. It added a nice change of pace from the richer and usually heavier sauces and gravies that are used for the main course.
What makes it so delicious yet so different each time is that we vary a few added ingredients and select a different pomegranate based sauce for the different dressings.
Whether you are a vegetarian or a meat eater you can custom make this salad and enjoy it as a side dish or as a meal anytime of day. We always start with fresh baby spinach leaves which is of course the base for the salad and then the fun begins with all the additional ingredients you can use.
Your salad might consist of a small amount of one or as many as you like of the following ingredients. The idea is to feel surprised with the texture and taste of each additional flavor rather than overwhelmed. So just add enough of each additional ingredient so it can be enjoyed but not have it overpower the main ingredient, spinach.
Some Suggested Ingredients:
Chopped red onion, green onion, shallots, goat cheese, feta cheese, crumpled Stilton or blue cheese, slivered almonds, macadamia nuts, sunflower seeds, toasted walnuts or pecans, even candied walnuts and pecans are delicious. We love cut up pieces of fruit such as tangerine, blood oranges, pears, grapefruit, roasted beets, chopped hard boiled egg, a sprinkling of pomegranate arils, fresh mushrooms, crisp bacon pieces, dried black currants, figs or blueberries and diced pieces of crystallized ginger. Cut up pieces of red or yellow peppers add beautiful color, texture and flavor to help make a healthy dish. We sometimes add leftovers such as pieces of grilled or roasted chicken breast, small chunks of turkey breast and even grilled tuna or canned if you prefer.
We would not suggest using all of the added ingredients at the same time but would select a combination of four, five or six ingredients at most to enjoy that day or as a way to use up delicious leftovers.
Select one or two items from each category such as one type of onion, one type of cheese, one type of nut, and two fruits as an example.
Salad Dressing
The salad dressing is the easiest component of the spinach salad recipe. It is a simple 50/50 combination of rice vinegar mixed with equal parts of Pomegranate Splash! There is no need to add extra virgin olive oil but it can be included if desired. We’ve added it many times and it is delicious. We’ve even added a teaspoon of a Dijon style mustard for a little different twist. Several of the pomegranate based flavors work very well with spinach and the various combination of additional ingredients. Our top selection is the Shiro Plum Sake Reduction Sauce followed by Mission Fig Port Reduction, Pomegranate Port Reduction and then the Black Currant Cabernet Reduction Sauce.
The following is our holiday recipe spinach salad combination but please feel free to substitute, experiment or change any of the ingredients we’ve used with additional ingredient suggestions from above to create your very own special spinach salad.
You may desire a little more or a little less of a particular ingredient depending on your own palate. Please use the following recipe as a guide to making your favorite spinach salad.
Spinach Salad with Plum Pomegranate Dressing
Servings: 6
Ingredients:
16 oz Fresh baby spinach, rinsed and blotted dry (bag or bulk)
2 tbs. chopped red onion
1/3 cup crumpled feta or goat cheese
1/3 cup slivered almonds
1/3 cup pomegranate arils (these can be purchased in the frozen food dept.)
1/3 cup tangerines segments cut into bite size pieces (seedless)
1/3 cup firm pear cut into bite size pieces
Salad dressing:
¼ cup rice vinegar mixed with ¼ cup Shiro Plum Sake Pomegranate Splash! or other flavor pomegranate based sauce.
Directions:
1. Place spinach in a mixing or salad bowl.
2. Layer the remaining ingredients onto the spinach. Beginning with the cheese then fruit pieces, onion and finish with slivered almonds.
3. Drizzle the mixed salad dressing over the entire top of the salad and serve at the table. If tossing the salad is desired, toss lightly but it is not necessary.
Serve and Enjoy,
Jules Silver
www.clubsauce.com
www.marxanabrandfoods.com
