Spinach, Kale, AND Dried Cherry Salad
- 30m Prep Time
- 15m Cook Time
- 45m Ready In
A festive salad combining sweet dried cherries, spicy candied pecans, piquant blue cheese, and a mix of spinach and kale. It holds up well dressed, making it ideal for holiday dinners.
Ingredients
- sugar
- 29.6 ml water
- unsalted butter cubed, at room temperature
- 227 g pecan halves
- 3.7 ml kosher salt
- 1.23 ml ground cinnamon
- cayenne
- extra-virgin olive oil
- 118 ml red wine vinegar
- 14.8 ml Dijon mustard
- 14.8 ml good-quality maple syrup
- 2.46 ml kosher salt
- 1.23 ml freshly ground black pepper
- 142 g baby spinach
- 1.42 L chopped curly green or red kale stems removed
- 237 ml Spiced Pickled Red Onions
- 237 ml dried tart or sour cherries
- 113 g blue cheese or gorgonzola crumbled
Nutrition (per serving, estimated)
Estimated based off 13 of 18 identified ingredients (per 100 g food data, scaled by amount).
Vitamins & minerals
- Calcium: 55.3 mg
- Iron: 1.25 mg
- Magnesium: 40.5 mg
- Phosphorus: 80.3 mg
- Potassium: 258 mg
- Zinc: 1.07 mg
Let's Prepare
Collect
Gather these ingredients — no prep needed yet.
- sugar
- 29.6 ml water
- 227 g pecan halves
- 3.7 ml kosher salt
- 1.23 ml ground cinnamon
- cayenne
- extra-virgin olive oil
- 118 ml red wine vinegar
- 14.8 ml Dijon mustard
- 14.8 ml good-quality maple syrup
- 2.46 ml kosher salt
- 1.23 ml freshly ground black pepper
- 142 g baby spinach
- 237 ml Spiced Pickled Red Onions
- 237 ml dried tart or sour cherries
Prepare
- unsalted butter, cubed, at room temperature
- 1.42 L chopped curly green or red kale, stems removed
- 113 g blue cheese or gorgonzola, crumbled
Let's Cook
-
Step 1.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, set a wire rack on top, and set aside. In a medium saucepan, combine ½ cup of the sugar with 2 tablespoons water and mash with a fork until the sugar is fully moistened.
-
Step 2.
Place the saucepan over high heat and cook until the sugar dissolves and turns a rich amber color, swirling the pan occasionally but not stirring. This will take 5 to 7 minutes; do not rush it.
-
Step 3.
Remove the pan from the heat and carefully add ¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, cubed, at room temperature, stirring until melted. Add 8 ounces (about 2 cups) pecan halves and stir to coat completely. Spread the pecans on the prepared wire rack.
-
Step 4.
In a small bowl, stir together the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar with ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, and ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon cayenne. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the pecans and let cool completely.
-
Step 5.
While the pecans cool, make the vinaigrette: In a blender, combine 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil, ½ cup red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust with additional oil (if too sharp), salt, and pepper. Set aside.
-
Step 6.
To assemble the salad, pile 5 ounces baby spinach (about 4 lightly packed cups) and 6 packed cups chopped curly kale (stems removed) into a large serving bowl. Top with the cooled candied pecans, 1 cup Spiced Pickled Red Onions, 1 cup dried tart cherries, and 4 ounces crumbled blue cheese or gorgonzola.
-
Step 7.
Dress the salad to taste with the vinaigrette, toss well, and serve. Store any unused vinaigrette in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 1 week.