No boring salads are allowed here! When it comes to salad, it’s all about the exciting add-ins: something sweet, savory, and salty. This deluxe version of a spinach salad is perfect for Fall weather featuring a tangy sweet maple syrup vinaigrette, sliced apples, and tangy goat cheese, and is topped with sweet curried pecans.
Whether you serve this at a holiday feast or for a weeknight dinner, you’ll love this salad’s layers of flavors and textures.
INGREDIENTS
Salad:
1 package Fletcher’s bacon
2 cups fresh baby spinach
1 apple, thinly sliced
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
½ cup package of crumbled goat cheese
Pecans:
1 cup pecan halves
2 tablespoons butter, melted
3 tablespoons sugar
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
⅛ teaspoon curry powder
⅛ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon ground red pepper
Maple Vinaigrette:
⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
⅔ cup olive oil
DIRECTIONS
Prepare the pecans. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Toss pecans in butter. Stir together pecans and remaining ingredients in a bowl, tossing to coat. Spread in a single layer in a nonstick pan. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned and toasted. Set aside to cool while preparing the salad.
Cook bacon on the stove over low heat. Remove the bacon from the pan to a paper-towel-lined plate when it is crispy but not too crisp. Set aside until ready to assemble.
Prepare Vinaigrette. Whisk together apple cider vinegar and the following four ingredients. Gradually whisk in oil until well blended.
Assemble the salad. Combine spinach and the following three ingredients in a bowl. Drizzle with the desired amount of Maple-Cider Vinaigrette; toss to coat. Sprinkle it with crumbled bacon and pecans.
Enjoy!
