This Spinach salad is delicious, healthy, and vibrant. It’s one of the most requested salads that I bring to potlucks. So I make this salad often. This beautiful salad will look great on your holiday dinner table.

For a great tasting vinaigrette try using  good quality balsamic vinegar, olive oil , and mustard. If you want to add a unique flavor to your vinaigrette, then you may buy truffle balsamic vinegar.

 

 Ingredients:

Baby spinach

1 red,yellow or orange bell pepper sliced lengthwise

1/2 red onion sliced (not too thin)

Glazed/candied pecans or walnuts.

Choice of Feta,blue cheese, or Gorgonzola (crumbled)

Bacon (baked/fried and crumbled)

4 tablespoons oil

 

Honey Dijon balsamic vinaigrette:

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4  shallot chopped (optional)

1-2 garlic cloves

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon honey

Salt and fresh ground black pepper

 

Directions:

Vinaigrette:

Using a hand blender, Combine balsamic vinegar,shallot,garlic,mustard,salt,and pepper.

With blender running,slowly pour in oil. Continue to blend until vinaigrette thickens.

If too thick, you can add a little water to adjust thickness to your liking.

Adjust seasoning and sweetness if needed.

Let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.

Salad:

Heat 2 tbsp.oil in a skillet on med-high heat.

Add bell pepper and saute.

Remove a peppers from skillet.

Add 2 tbsp. oil. to the same skillet.

Add onions and saute.

Arrange spinach leaves on a salad plate or salad bowl then following this order:

Dressing (drizzled)

bell peppers

onions

bacon

cheese

nuts

If serving in a large salad bowl, Arrange in layers by repeating the order.