Sunday, October 9, 2011

Spinach Salad with Maple Vinaigrette



This salad is so big and hearty that it’s all my husband and I eat for dinner. We don’t have bowls big enough to handle the serving size, so, we have to go in for seconds! If you don’t intend on devouring this entire salad yourselves, it makes a great side salad for a dinner party. The maple vinaigrette paired with the savory bacon and sweet crunchiness of the apple is a combination you don’t want to miss!

Dressing:
3 Tbl REAL maple syrup
2 Tbl shallots, finely chopped
2 Tbl red wine vinegar
1 Tbl extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbl Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp garlic, finely chopped

Salad:
1 10 oz pkg of fresh baby spinach
1 c. mushrooms, sliced
1/2 apple, thinly sliced (I like Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Jazz or Braeburn)
1/3 c. red onion, very thinly sliced (optional)
1/3 c. pecans, chopped
4 to 6 slices of bacon, cooked & chopped
4 Tbl. crumbled blue cheese

Combine all the dressing ingredients in a Tupperware container with a tight fitting lid. Shake, shake, shake to incorporate all the ingredients. Set aside.

Add spinach, mushrooms, apple, red onion and pecans to a large salad bowl. Drizzle salad with dressing (you will not need all the dressing you make). Toss salad and plate. Equally divide bacon and blue cheese between salads; sprinkle each ingredient on top. Serve with a nice crusty bread!

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