Spinach, blueberry, pecan, pickled onion & goat cheese

Generally, I think of salads as a summer dish. I certainly tend to make more of them during the hot months when I don’t want to heat up my kitchen. That being said, there are times when I want something fresh and vibrant in the cold winter months or a salad to go along with a warm soup. This salad is excellent for such occasions. The colors go perfectly with a winter day – blues, brown, white, and a bit of pink – just what you might see on a crisp winter morning.

The star leafy green for this salad is spinach. Its sweet mild flavor make it the perfect backdrop for the fruits and nuts we will add. Two items add delicious vibrancy and complexity of flavor. The first is toasted pecans. They are easily made by cooking on medium heat in a frying pan the pecans for a few minutes and sprinkling at the end with a touch of salt. The second is pickled red onion which lends a tangy peppery bite to the salad. I keep pickled red onion on hand as they make a great addition and garnish to many dishes. If you want to know how to make them, check out my simple recipe for them. Note however it takes at least a few hours for the flavor to develop, so you will want to prepare these in advance. If you don’t have pickled red onions, you can use plain red onion, though the flavor will not be as good.

The dressing is a variation of a poppyseed dressing. I use homemade plain yogurt as the base and add to it a bit of olive oil, apple cider vinegar, poppy seeds, sugar, and salt for a sweet and tangy dressing that doesn’t overpower the other ingredients.

There are two ways you can serve this salad. You can plate it individually with the dressing on the side or toss the ingredients with the dressing if you are serving in a buffet style setting. If you choose to toss your salad, add the dressing just before you are ready to serve. This salad makes a great light lunch or works as a great dinner side.

– The Recipe –