Summer Spinach Salad

Do you need a simple salad recipe that is fresh and healthy? Only a few ingredients are involved here, but the flavor is big. Whether you are dining at home and need a fun side for grilled chicken or need a last minute idea for a salad to bring to the neighbor’s barbecue, this summer spinach salad could be your savior.

The Secret to this Summer Spinach Salad is…..

Bold flavor of pickled shallots can be your secret ingredient for any simple salad.  It is easy enough to make pickled shallots in about 30 minutes, and the pay off is big. When invited to dinner and you ask what to bring, often the guests are asked to bring a salad. It is in my pedigree to think of a few salad “rules” and to invent new, bolder salad side dishes.  This mindset is what produced this simple spinach salad.

The Salad Rules

Those of you who have been to our site before, know that we were taught (Thank you, Ant K) a few salad rules to live by.

1. All you need for a good salad is your choice of greens, a fruit/ veggie, a nut/ crunch, and a cheese.
2. Add in more if you need, but simpler is better on many occasions.
3. Make your own dressing. Its easy and can create a lighter taste on a salad, often times.

Summer Spinach Salad Tips

• Snap off the spinach leaf stems. It looks better and is texture changer for your salad.
• Pickled shallots: slice them EXTRA thin. Dissolve 2 tsp of white sugar in about 1/2 cup of red wine vinegar. Soak the shallots (make sure they are covered by the vinegar mixture) for about 20 min. Drain out the liquid and there you have it.
• Crumble your own goat cheese. It is more moist and the uneven crumbles make for an appealing visual.
• Add crispy bacon bits or crispy prosciutto pieces as a variation. This salad’s flavor stands alone, but I love a little salty crispiness in my salads, so one of these cured meats is a great variation to try.
• Toast your walnuts- for more flavor and desirable texture, toast your walnuts slowly and over low heat.
• Make your own dressing! Its easy and all this flavorful salad needs is a simple lemon and olive oil base.

Complimentary Recipes for this Salad

Truly, this summer spinach salad would go well with any of your favorite marinated and then grilled meats. The balsamic flank steak recipe, for example, would be an excellent main course.  Similarly, this light yet flavorful salad would accompany any pork ribs or pork tenderloin recipe as well, making it the perfect addition to any summer barbecue.

Summer Spinach Salad

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• Author: Gnarly Roots
• Total Time: 30 minutes

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Description

Light and delicious

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

10 ounces fresh spinach, stems removed

1/4 c chopped and toasted walnuts

1/2 c English cucumber, thinly sliced

1/4 c pickled shallots

2 –3 oz crumbled goat cheese

For the Dressing:

6 T olive oil

2 T lemon juice

salt and pepper

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Instructions

1. Lightly toast walnuts in a sauté pan. Chop and set aside.
2. Destem spinach and put into serving bowl
3. To pickle the shallots:  Slice shallots thinly. Dissolve 2 T white sugar in 1/2 cup red wine vinegar. Soak shallots in vinegar sugar mixture for 30 min- 2 hours (until they are pink and soft). Drain.
4. Shake dressing ingredients in a mason jar.
5. Add walnuts and cucumbers to spinach, then toss with the dressing.
6. Add shallots and crumbled goat cheese to the top.

Notes

• Snap off the spinach leaf stems. It looks better and is texture changer for your salad.
• Picked shallots: slice them EXTRA thin. Dissolve 2 tsp of white sugar in about 1/2 cup of red wine vinegar. Soak the shallots (make sure they are covered by the vinegar mixture) for about 20 min. Drain out the liquid and there you have it.
• Crumble your own goat cheese. It is more moist and the uneven crumbles make for an appealing visual.
• Add crispy bacon bits or proscuitto chunks as a variation. This salad’s flavor stands alone, but I love a little salty crispiness in my salads, so one of these cured meats is a great variation to try.
• Toast your walnuts- for more flavor and desirable texture, toast your walnuts slowly and over low heat.
• Make your own dressing! Its easy and all this flavorful salad needs is a simple lemon and olive oil base.
• If you don’t want to spend time on the shallots, thinly sliced red onions are a great substitute.

• Prep Time: 30 min