Best Super Spinach Salad For Two Recipes

PERFECT SPINACH SALAD (NO, REALLY)

Perfect Spinach Salad (No, Really) image

This classy spinach salad is a salad to impress! Smoky pecans and a creamy balsamic vinaigrette make the best counterpoint to this green.

Provided by Sonja Overhiser

Categories Salad

Time 20m

Yield 4

Number Of Ingredients 10

Ingredients

2 hard boiled eggs or 1 large crisp tart apple
1/2 cup whole pecans*
1 tablespoon soy sauce (or tamari or coconut aminos)
1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup or sugar
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 pinches kosher salt or flaky sea salt
1 recipe Best Balsamic Vinaigrette
6 cups baby spinach leaves or chopped standard spinach
1 shallot
1/2 cup feta cheese crumbles (optional)

Steps:

Make the hard boiled eggs, if using (or make them in advance). Chop them into bite-sized pieces.
Add the pecans, soy sauce, maple syrup and smoked paprika to a small non-stick skillet over medium heat. When it just starts to bubble, reduce the heat to low but still slowly bubbling. Simmer 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. In the last minute when the liquid is mostly evaporated, stir continuously until it is totally cooked out and the nuts start clumping together. Immediately remove from the heat and transfer the pecans to a sheet of parchment paper in a single layer. Sprinkle with 2 pinches kosher salt and allow to cool to room temperature, about 5 minutes.
Make the Balsamic Vinaigrette.
Thinly slice the shallot. If using apple instead of hard boiled egg, thinly slice the apple.
Place the spinach on plates or in bowls. Top with hard boiled eggs or apple slices, smoky pecans, sliced shallot, and feta cheese crumbles.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 332 calories, Sugar 11.1 g, Sodium 520 mg, Fat 26.9 g, SaturatedFat 6 g, TransFat 0 g, Carbohydrate 15.3 g, Fiber 2.4 g, Protein 8.5 g, Cholesterol 109.7 mg

SUPER SPINACH SALAD

Super Spinach Salad image

Thanks to this recipe, an elegant salad is a cinch to make. Good-for-you spinach is the perfect backdrop for salty bacon bits and tangy balsamic vinaigrette. Mary Harris - Shively, Kentucky

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories Lunch

Time 15m

Yield 8 servings.

Number Of Ingredients 5

Ingredients

1 package (9 ounces) fresh baby spinach
1/2 pound sliced fresh mushrooms
2 hard-boiled large eggs, chopped
2 tablespoons bacon bits
1/2 cup balsamic vinaigrette

Steps:

In a large salad bowl, combine the spinach, mushrooms, eggs and bacon. Drizzle with vinaigrette; toss to coat.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 68 calories, Fat 4g fat (1g saturated fat), Cholesterol 54mg cholesterol, Sodium 225mg sodium, Carbohydrate 4g carbohydrate (2g sugars, Fiber 1g fiber), Protein 4g protein. Diabetic Exchanges