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Berry spinach salad with feta cheese, pecans, crispy prosciutto (or bacon), and balsamic glaze is a real style of the season. Bursting with recent, seasonal produce like strawberries, blackberries, and child spinach, it’s Summer season in a bowl! Excellent as a facet dish for summer season cookouts, potlucks, and picnics, or as a light-weight, wholesome lunch!
Berry Spinach Salad for Spring and Summer season Gatherings
Searching for an ideal starter or facet for any spring or summer season occasion menu? This Berry Spinach Salad is the proper alternative because it combines the perfect of the season’s produce. Juicy strawberries and blackberries add a burst of sweetness, whereas recent spinach (or some other leafy greens) present crunch and crispiness. Mix all that with toasted pecans, crispy prosciutto (or bacon), and creamy feta, and you will have a wonderfully balanced summer season dish. The salad is flippantly dressed with a honey balsamic dressing, enhancing the pure sweetness of the berries and including a contact of tanginess.
Its vibrant colours and recent flavors make it a superb addition to potlucks and dinner events, the place it’s certain to impress company. Whether or not you are internet hosting an off-the-cuff yard gathering or a chic ceremonial dinner, this salad is a crowd-pleaser that matches completely with the season’s festivities. My different favourite summer season salads are vibrant mango blueberry spinach salad and colourful spinach salad with blueberries and raspberries.
Salad components you want
- Spinach is filled with vitamins and antioxidants. It’s excessive in fiber and supply of many nutritional vitamins and minerals. Spinach is a superb supply of nutritional vitamins A and C, in addition to folic acid, iron, and calcium.
- Strawberries are wealthy in antioxidants, nutritional vitamins, and minerals, reminiscent of Vitamin C, Manganese, Folate, and Potassium. They’re supply of fiber.
- Blackberries are filled with minerals, fiber, and antioxidants. For instance, they’re wealthy in nutritional vitamins C and Ok, and manganese. They’re low in energy, carbs, and fats.
- Pecans. I prefer to toast pecans within the preheated oven at 350 F for five or 10 minutes simply till they begin to get slightly bit darker. Toasted pecans style brisker and crunchier than untoasted ones. They’re additionally filled with wholesome fat, and protein, and are supply of calcium, magnesium, and potassium.
- Feta cheese is kind of nutritious, as nicely, and is a superb supply of calcium. This scrumptious cheese has a delicate texture and briny taste.
- Prosciutto. Toast it briefly within the preheated oven at 350 F for about 5 minutes simply till crispy. You may also use bacon bits or chopped cooked bacon.
The right way to make a berry spinach salad
The great thing about this salad lies in its simplicity. Listed below are the fundamental steps (scroll right down to the recipe card for the total recipe):
- Mix child spinach, quartered strawberries, blackberries, and crumbled feta cheese in a big bowl. Toss to mix.
- Divide the salad amongst particular person serving bowls.
- High every bowl with toasted torn prosciutto and complete and chopped toasted pecans.
- Drizzle with balsamic glaze. You can also make your personal glaze from scratch utilizing balsamic vinegar and honey, or use different choices I listed earlier.
The right way to make balsamic glaze from scratch
- The salad dressing is made with solely 2 easy components: Balsamic vinegar and honey (or brown sugar).
- Make the balsamic glaze by cooking down the balsamic vinegar along with a small quantity of honey or brown sugar in a saucepan till the combination reduces by about half.
- On this recipe, mix 1 cup of balsamic vinegar + ¼ cup of honey or brown sugar and cook dinner it down.
- Consistency must be syrupy and thick sufficient to coat the again of the spoon however shouldn’t be overly thick. Make it as thick or as runny as you want.
Different salad dressing choices
I like the salad dressing for this berry spinach for its flexibility. You possibly can simply skip making the balsamic glaze as a result of there are many different choices out there. Listed below are only a few:
- Excessive-High quality Aged Balsamic Vinegar: Use a high-quality aged balsamic vinegar made in Italy. Not like common balsamic vinegar, aged balsamic vinegar is much less acidic and has a thick, syrupy consistency, making it excellent for a salad dressing. You will discover it in specialised shops or the overseas meals part of some grocery shops. Though it tends to be costly, you don’t must cook dinner it down or use it in massive quantities. Search for balsamic vinegar labeled as Aceto Balsamico I.G.P. or Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale D.O.P.
- Retailer-Purchased Balsamic Glaze: Pre-made balsamic glaze is available in lots of grocery shops, usually discovered within the olive oil part or the specialised sections for overseas meals.
- Make a Easy Balsamic Dressing: Mix balsamic vinegar and olive oil by mixing ¼ cup of olive oil, ¼ cup of balsamic vinegar, and a couple of tablespoons (or extra) of honey. Whisk the components collectively till emulsified, then drizzle over the salad.
Ideas for making it forward
- Toast pecans as much as 2 days upfront. Toast them within the preheated oven at 350 F for about 5 minutes. As soon as they’re cool, hold them in a ziploc bag at room temperature or within the fridge.
- Toast prosciutto as much as 2 days upfront. Toast torn prosciutto within the preheated oven at 350 F for about 5 or 10 minutes. As soon as they’re cool, hold them in a ziploc bag within the fridge.
- Put together the balsamic glaze upfront. You should use store-bought or make it from scratch as much as 2 days upfront. Preserve it refrigerated and produce it to room temperature earlier than serving.
- Assemble quartered strawberries, blackberries, spinach, and crumbled feta cheese as much as 5 hours upfront earlier than serving. Add the nuts, crispy prosciutto, and the balsamic glaze solely when able to serve.
Storage Ideas
- It is best to serve berry spinach salad instantly, so I like to recommend making simply sufficient in order that you haven’t any leftovers.
- In case you do have leftovers, the salad may be refrigerated for two days. It is best to refrigerate the salad and the dressing individually.
What to serve with berry spinach salad
This spinach salad makes a terrific facet salad, lunch, noon snack, and even dinner for while you wish to hold issues mild. You may also flip it right into a major dish, listed here are some concepts:
- Add cooked rooster. Grilled or rotisserie are nice decisions. You may also cook dinner flavor-packed rooster from scratch on the stove-top utilizing these scrumptious recipes:
- The Juiciest Skinless Boneless Rooster Thighs
- Pan-seared Cajun Rooster
- Add shrimp: pre-cooked or grilled. You may also rapidly cook dinner uncooked shrimp on the range prime utilizing these simple and light-weight on energy summer season recipes:
- Cilantro-Lime Shrimp
- Blackened Shrimp
Different summer season spinach salad recipes
- Apple Spinach Salad with Honey-Mustard Dressing
- The Most Superb Greek Salad
- Beet Salad with Spinach and Honey-Mustard Lemon Dressing
- Apricot Salad with Spinach, Cherries, Pecans, and Feta Cheese
Berry Spinach Salad with Pecans, Feta, and Balsamic Glaze
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Elements
Elements you’ll want to toast within the oven
- 4 oz Prosciutto (toasted)
- ⅔ cup pecans toasted, a few of them chopped
Balsamic Dressing
- 1 cup balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup honey or brown sugar
Spinach Strawberry Salad
- 6 oz child spinach recent
- 3 cups strawberries cleaned and hulled, sliced
- 1 cup blackberries
- ⅓ cup feta cheese crumbled
Directions
Toast the pecans and prosciutto
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Preheat the oven to 350 F. Unfold the pecans and torn prosciutto in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Toast for about 5 or 10 minutes till the nuts flip barely darker and the prosciutto will get crispy.
Salad Dressing – Balsamic Glaze
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In a small saucepan, warmth balsamic vinegar and honey over medium warmth.
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Deliver to a mild boil, cut back warmth to simmer and cook dinner, stirring, till the combination thickens and reduces by about half (about 10 or so minutes).
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Take away from warmth and pour the balsamic glaze right into a heat-proof bowl to chill off. The glaze will get thicker because it cools off.
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Consistency must be thick sufficient to coat the again of the spoon however shouldn’t be overly thick.
Salad
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In a big bowl, mix all the salad components, besides the pecans and prosciutto. Toss to mix.
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Divide the salad into particular person serving bowls.
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High every serving bowl with toasted torn prosciutto and complete and chopped toasted pecans.
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Drizzle the highest of the salad in every bowl with balsamic glaze.
Notes
- Excessive-High quality Aged Balsamic Vinegar: Use a high-quality aged balsamic vinegar made in Italy. Not like common balsamic vinegar, aged balsamic vinegar is much less acidic and has a thick, syrupy consistency, making it excellent for a salad dressing. You will discover it in specialised shops or the overseas meals part of some grocery shops. Though it tends to be costly, you don’t must cook dinner it down or use it in massive quantities. Search for balsamic vinegar labeled as Aceto Balsamico I.G.P. or Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale D.O.P.
- Retailer-Purchased Balsamic Glaze: Pre-made balsamic glaze is available in lots of grocery shops, usually discovered within the olive oil part or the specialised sections for overseas meals.
- Make a Easy Balsamic Dressing: Mix balsamic vinegar and olive oil by mixing ¼ cup of olive oil, ¼ cup of balsamic vinegar, and a couple of tablespoons (or extra) of honey. Whisk the components collectively till emulsified, then drizzle over the salad. It is going to be a thinner dressing, however nonetheless scrumptious.
Vitamin
