Spinach Salad with Strawberries and Goat Cheese
So you think you don’t like goat cheese, huh? Well, have you ever tried it? This salad is a super tasty combination that is perfect for hot summer days when you don’t want to make anything warm. And, if you’re absolutely opposed to goat cheese, feta or blue cheese also works well.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 4
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly coat a baking pan with oil or cooking spray.
Step 2
Place the egg white in a small bowl, add the pecans, and toss until completely coated. Remove the pecans with a fork, draining off as much of the egg white as possible, and place on the baking pan. (You just want the pecans wet so the sugar will stick.) Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the sugar over the pecans and toss lightly to coat evenly. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the pecans are dry.
Step 3
Remove and discard the tops from the strawberries and cut each one into quarters. Place 1/2 cup of the strawberries into a small bowl and smash with a fork until they are in tiny pieces. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon sugar and the vinegar to the bowl and stir well. Slowly add the oil, mixing briskly with a whisk or fork.
Step 4
Place the spinach, goat cheese, pecans, and remaining strawberries in a large bowl. Add the vinaigrette just prior to serving and toss until well combined. (The salad can be prepared ahead of time, but don’t toss with the vinaigrette until you are ready to serve or the spinach will wilt.)
Food for Thought
Step 5
Popeye knew what he was doing when he popped open that can of spinach. It’s packed with the antioxidant beta-carotene and has strong, proven anticancer benefits. One and one-half cups of raw spinach contains 70 percent of the daily recommended amount of vitamin A, 25 percent of vitamin C, 20 percent of iron, 6 percent of calcium, 5 grams of fiber, and is only 40 calories. It sounds too good to be true . . . but it’s not.
