Cranberry Spinach Salad with Gorgonzola is another great recipe to prepare in the fall months or for holiday dinners.
This Cranberry Spinach Salad is such a simple salad. There is nothing fancy about it. The ingredients are all easy to find. Use bagged spinach leaves to make it even easier to make! It just goes to show you that you don’t have to put together complicated recipes to be impressed. Sometimes easy recipes like this one are just the way to go! And if you’re planning to make this salad for the holidays, then that’s a big bonus because it’s quick to put together.
Ingredients needed for Cranberry Spinach Salad:
- pecans
- fresh spinach leaves
- dried cranberries
- Gorgonzola cheese
- olive oil
- lemon zest
- balsamic vinegar
- salt and pepper
How to toast pecans:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the pecans on a small baking sheet, and roast in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes. You’ll know they are perfectly toasted when you break one in half and it’s golden in the center. You’ll smell that fabulous scent of toasted nuts too. Let them cool before using.
Simple vinaigrette for salad:
This salad uses the simplest homemade vinaigrette! It’s a mix of olive oil, lemon zest and balsamic vinegar. I know it doesn’t sound like much, but that’s all this salad needs.
In your prettiest salad bowl, combine the spinach, toasted pecans, Gorgonzola and dried cranberries.
Drizzle the vinaigrette on top. And then toss your Cranberry Spinach Salad.
Substitution suggestions:
If you’re not a big fan of fresh spinach, I think it would be find to use chopped red or green leaf lettuce for this recipe. You can substitute slivered or sliced almonds or walnuts for the pecans. And you can also substitute feta or goat cheese for the Gorgonzola. Add chicken, salmon or steak to make this a main-dish salad!
If you’re making this Cranberry Spinach Salad early in the day to be served for dinner later, just assemble the salad ingredients in the bowl and refrigerate. Toss with the dressing just before dinner is served. Enjoy your super easy salad creation!
Here are a few more spinach salad recipes you might like to try:
- Mandarin Chicken Spinach Salad
- Southwest Spinach Salad
- Spinach Salad with Hot Prosciutto Dressing
- Spinach Salad with Chicken, Avocado and Goat Cheese
- Strawberry Feta Spinach Salad
- Chickpea and Spinach Salad with Cumin Dressing
- Blueberry Spinach Salad
- Autumn Apple and Spinach Salad
Cranberry Spinach Salad with Gorgonzola
Ingredients
SALAD:
- 3/4 cup pecan halves or pieces
- 8 ounces baby spinach leaves, rinsed and dried
- 3/4 cup (4 ounces) crumbled Gorgonzola cheese (or another blue or feta cheese)
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
VINAIGRETTE:
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a shallow baking pan, bake the pecans in a 350° F. oven until golden in the center (break one to check), 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool.
- In a large bowl, gently mix the spinach, pecans, Gorgonzola and cranberries.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar and lemon zest. Drizzle onto the salad and lightly toss. Season the salad to taste with salt and pepper.
Notes
- *To save time, buy the pre-packaged spinach bags. Be sure to re-wash the spinach.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
