Ingredients:
Salad:
10 oz baby spinach
5 oz strawberries, hulled and sliced
3 oz blueberries (about ½ cup)
2 oz pecans, halved or chopped
1 ½ oz sliced red onion (about ¼ medium onion)
½ cup feta cheese, crumbled or diced small
Balsamic Dressing:
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons honey
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Pour some cold water into a small bowl or a cup and soak the red onion slices while you’re preparing the salad. This step
helps get rid of the harsh oniony taste (you can skip this step if you don’t mind the raw onion flavor).
Toast the pecans in a dry skillet on medium-low heat for a couple of minutes, shaking often. They should brown on the
edges but make sure not to toast them too long or they will get bitter.
Prepare the dressing by whisking all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl or add to a mason jar, close the lid and shake
vigorously. Set aside.
Assemble the salad. In a large bowl, add baby spinach, strawberries, blueberries, toasted pecans, feta cheese, and red onions
(drained on a sieve). Give the dressing another whisk (or shake) and add ⅔ of the dressing and toss to coat. Depending on
how much dressing you like on your salad, add more if needed.
Serve and enjoy.
Notes:
I usually only use baby spinach for this salad but you can also try baby arugula or an arugula-spinach mix.
If you want your salad to look picture-perfect, don’t add all the berries, feta cheese, and pecans right away. Save some aside,
dress the salad to coat well, and sprinkle them on top.
If you are not a fan of mustard in dressings, you can skip it.
Use crumbled goat cheese instead of feta if you prefer.
The honey in the dressing should be the runny kind. You can also swap it for maple syrup if you prefer.
Use pecan halves or chopped pecans. I like to use the halves, toast them, cool slightly, and then chop.
Nutrition:
Calories: 360 kcal
Carbohydrates: 15 g
Protein: 7 g
Fat: 32 g
Saturated Fat: 6 g
Polyunsaturated Fat: 5 g
Monounsaturated Fat: 19 g
Cholesterol: 17 mg
Sodium: 279 mg
Potassium: 557 mg
Fiber: 4 g
Sugar: 8 g
Vitamin A: 6749 IU
Vitamin C: 44 mg
Calcium: 183 mg
Iron: 3 mg