Spinach Salad with Fruity Vinaigrette, Fresh Fruit & Maple-Glazed Pecans

A big dinner spinach salad, fresh and green with a rainbow of fresh fruit and g-o-r-g-e-o-u-s Maple-Glazed Pecans, all lightly dressed in a Fruity Vinaigrette. It works for one or two but scales for feeding a crowd.

Real Food, Fresh & Flexible. Low Carb. Low Fat. Weight Watchers Friendly. Not just vegan, Vegan Done Real. Naturally Gluten Free. Scales from Small Plates to Large Platters.

~ Skip Straight to the Recipe ~

How to Construct a Late-Winter Salad in the Midwest

Mine is a northern soul but come February, I pixel-peer with envy into the eden-esque citrus gardens of California and Florida. Grapefruit, tangerines and oranges, oh! the oranges. And lemons. The wonder of those trees, such abundance, fruiting with such abandon.

Not here, though, not here in the Midwest.

Constructing a late-winter fruit salad here in the Midwest is tricky.

I love our dear family companion Olga's Winter Fruit Salad that uses frozen fruit: it's a godsend but also more of a dessert fruit salad, a light end to a special meal.

And there's a winter-fruit version of Mexican Fruit Salad, easily sourced tangerines, apples, pears, bananas and pomegranate with savory spices.

My Winter Vision

Here though, I envisioned a savory salad, fresh and green, a big dinner salad that easily scales from dinner for one or two to feeding a crowd.

• With dark-green spinach leaves for their slight bitterness (Vegetables 101: What Are Bitter Greens?).
• And a rainbow of bite-size sweet fruit pieces, all fresh, none frozen, fruits easily found in supermarkets this time of year.
• A burst of sweetness from gorgeous Maple-Glazed Pecans.

Outside, the earth is soaking with snow melt. Just yesterday it was too icy to walk in the morning but by afternoon, the streets filled with cabin-fevered school kids on bicycles, parents pushing strollers and too-long cooped-up dogs pulling against their leashes.

Soon, truly, it shall be spring and then, turn, turn, turn, summer shall follow. But until then, there's salad, fresh and green and full of life and hope.

Choosing Fresh Fruit

• Some fruits will "hold" better than others if prepped up to four hours before serving: apples, pears, mango, kiwi, orange sections and pomegranate seeds. Others will do better if added to the fruit bowl just before serving: blueberries, strawberries, say.


• Oranges are especially good in this salad. In January, we were gifted some honeybells (a mix of tangerines and grapefruit) from Boudrias Groves in Florida. They are gorgeous, thank you, Charlie and Jan! I halved the oranges and cut out the sections with a grapefruit spoon. They were so sweet and juicy, we even skipped the Fruity Vinaigrette! If you can identify seedless oranges at the grocery, they're also good.


• Pears usually need to sit on the counter for two or three days before they're ready to eat.


• The "big" fruits (apples, pears, mangoes) are better choices when feeding a crowd because if you use the whole fruit, it adds up to a whole pile of fruit. For one or two, better to stick with individual fruits such as strawberries, blueberries, etc. – or choose small fruits or save the leftover fruit for smoothies! "Where there's a will ..."

And Oh! The Maple-Glazed Pecans!

Be sure to mix up a batch of these addictive pecan pieces ahead of time, recipe here, Maple-Glazed Pecans. They're barely sweet, just a tablespoon of maple syrup adds a lovely thin glaze to an entire pound of pecan pieces. These are so special, just gorgeous!

That said, other toasted nuts will also work beautifully or look for small bags of sweet nuts near the salad greens at the grocery store.

A Real Gift: A Giant Salad Bowl

We are the keeper of the family's "big salad bowl" – the gift of cousin Laura, who so often brings salad ingredients to big family get-togethers and found our small salad bowls, shall we say, wanting? Much to my surprise, I pull it out all the time!

The interesting thing? Having an abundance of salad seems to encourage people to help themselves to big servings, some times to start a meal, some times to end it. The salad is often long gone, leaving the sweets lonely for attention.

Bookmark! PIN! Share!

How do you save and share favorite recipes? recipes that fit your personal cooking style? a particular recipe your mom or daughter or best friend would just love? If this pretty salad hits the mark, go ahead, save and share! I'd be honored ...

---

SPINACH SALAD with FRUITY VINAIGRETTE,
FRESH FRUIT & MAPLE-GLAZED PECANS

Hands-on time: 30 minutes
Time to table: 30 minutes
Serves 12 (easily divided for fewer servings)

FRUITY VINAIGRETTE
(enough for two Spinach Salads)

• 3 tablespoons fruity vinegar (raspberry, orange, etc.)
• 1/2 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil, crushed between your fingers
• 1/4 teaspoon good salt
• 1-1/2 tablespoons good olive oil

FRESH FRUIT
• Juice of a lemon
• Red-skinned apple, diced small
• Green-skinned pear, diced small
• Mango, diced small
• 2 kiwi, skinned, sliced and halved or quartered
• 2 seedless oranges, sliced (How to Cut an Orange for Slices)
• Other fruit ideas: pomegranate seeds, fresh pineapple chunks, blueberries, sliced strawberries, fresh avocado

SPINACH SALAD
• 12 ounces fresh tender spinach leaves, stems removed
• Fresh Fruit, half to mix in, half for the top
• Maple-Glazed Pecans half to mix in, half for the top
• Fruity Vinaigrette, a tablespoon at a time

MAKE THE FRUITY VINAIGRETTE In a bowl, whisk together the vinegar, sugar, basil and salt. With one hand, pour the olive oil into the bowl in a steady stream, whisking it in with the other hand. Taste and adjust seasoning. Can be made ahead of time to store in the fridge but return to room temperature before dressing the salad. Makes about 5 tablespoons, you won't use it all for this salad.

PREP THE FRESH FRUIT Up to four hours before serving, toss the lemon juice and fruit to prevent both browning and drying out. Keep at room temperature, stir occasionally.

ASSEMBLE THE SPINACH SALAD In a large bowl, gently toss the spinach, half the Fresh Fruit and half the Maple-Glazed Pecans with the Fruity Vinaigrette, a tablespoon at a time, until it's the "right" amount of Vinaigrette to your taste. (I use about half the Vinaigrette, it's more a layer of "wet" than a coating of "dressing".) Top with the remaining Fresh Fruit and Maple-Glazed Pecans.

LEFTOVERS If left undressed, the combined spinach leaves, Fresh Fruit and Maple-Glazed Pecans will keep for a day or two in the refrigerator, ready for an impromptu salad whenever the whim strikes, just add Vinaigrette and go.

ALANNA's TIPS The Fruity Vinaigrette may taste "sharp" on its own but really works when paired with sweet fresh fruit and the Glazed Pecans. Go ahead, cut up an avocado for this salad, so good! If you print this recipe, you'll want to check the recipe online for even more tips and extra information about ingredient substitutions, best results and more. See https://www.kitchenparade.com/2014/02/spinach-salad-with-fresh-fruit-glazed-pecans.html.

MAPLE-GLAZED PECANS (THE SHORT VERSION) Toss 8 ounces (225g) pecan pieces with 2 tablespoons maple syrup and 1 teaspoon table salt, stirring very well. Spread evenly on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Bake at 250F/120C for a total of 1 hour, stirring after the first 30 minutes and after the second 30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes and stir again. For detailed instructions, tips and more, please see Maple-Glazed Pecans.

NUTRITION INFORMATION
Vinaigrette Only, Per Tablespoon: 42 Calories; 4g Tot Fat; 1g Sat Fat; 0mg Cholesterol; 56mg Sodium; 1g Carb; 0g Fiber; 1g Sugar; 0g Protein. WEIGHT WATCHERS Old Points 1 & PointsPlus 1 & SmartPoints 2 & Freestyle 2 & myWW green 2 & blue 2 & purple 2 & future WW points

Per Salad, Including the Spinach Salad & Fruity Vinaigrette: 55 Calories; 1g Tot Fat; 0g Sat Fat; 0mg Cholesterol; 34mg Sodium; 12g Carb; 2g Fiber; 8g Sugar; 1g Protein. WEIGHT WATCHERS Old Points 1 & PointsPlus 1 & SmartPoints 3 & Freestyle 0 & myWW green 0 & blue 0 & purple 0 & future WW points

With Maple-Glazed Pecans, add 1 point per tablespoon.

---

Seasonal Cooking: Mid Winter Across the Years

Chicken Cacciatore (<< personal favorite) Greek Feta Chicken Mushroom Soup Pork & Poblano Skillet Creamy Slow Cooker Beans Gashouse Eggs My Mom's Pancake Recipe Homemade Spaghetti Meat Sauce Sugar-Free Raspberry Bliss Orange-Kissed Marshmallows No-Big-Deal Homemade Chicken Stock Spinach Salad with Fruity Vinaigrette, Fresh Fruit & Maple-Glazed Pecans Make Tonight a Pancake Night Beef Barley Soup with Mushrooms Triple-Banana Oat Pancakes

This Week, Elsewhere

~ Oven-Baked Oatmeal ~
from Half & Half
~ more St. Louis Restaurant Recipes ~
My Weekly Column in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch

~ Easy Spinach Nests ~
~ more Recent Recipes ~
A Veggie Venture

---

More Spinach Recipes

more
~ spinach recipes ~

• THE RECIPE Spinach Soup with Perfect Hard-Cooked Eggs A soup flushed with spring.
• ANOTHER TAKE Laura's Healthy Carrot Soup Creamy without a drop of cream.

• THE RECIPE Shrimp with Tomatoes, Spinach & Feta Shrimp cooked in a nest of tomatoes, spinach and feta cheese.
  
• ANOTHER TAKE Summer Seafood Chowder Shrimp and scallops in a milky broth, with barely cooked tomato, corn and my favorite vegetable this summer, okra.

• THE RECIPE Chicken Burgers with Fresh Spinach, Feta and Garden Tzatziki Sauce Summery Greek-style chicken sandwich with chunky Greek tzatziki.
• ANOTHER TAKE Jerusalem Turkey Burgers with Zucchini Moist, flavorful burgers specked with grated zucchini and fresh herbs.

---

More Fruit Salads for Mid to Late Winter

more
~ fruit salad recipes ~

• THE RECIPE Roasted Pear Salad Romance and seduction on a plate.
• ANOTHER TAKE Grape Salad with Almonds & Cilantro An unusual fruit salad, savory and sweet at the same time.

• THE RECIPE Winter Fruit Salad Colorful fruit salad when fresh fruit is available.
• ANOTHER TAKE <Five-Minute Fruit Salad It's all in the presentation!

• THE RECIPE Mexican Fruit Salad A light and simple fruit salad with a surprising mix of spices and fruits.
• ANOTHER TAKE Eloisa's Jicama Salad Bright with orange.

---

Shop Your Pantry First

(helping home cooks save money on groceries)

~ apple recipes ~
~ pear recipes ~
~ mango recipes ~
~ kiwi recipes ~
~ orange recipes ~
~ spinach recipes ~
~ pecan recipes ~

~ All Recipes, By Ingredient ~
~ How to Save Money on Groceries ~

---

Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences. Quick Suppers are Kitchen Parade favorites and feature recipes easy on the budget, the clock, the waistline and the dishwasher. Do you have a favorite recipe that other Kitchen Parade readers might like? Just send me a quick e-mail via recipes@kitchen-parade.com. How to print a Kitchen Parade recipe. Never miss a recipe! If you like this recipe, sign up for a free e-mail subscription. If you like Kitchen Parade, for more scratch cooking recipes using whole, healthful ingredients, you're sure to like my food blog about vegetable recipes, too, A Veggie Venture. If you make this recipe, I'd love to know your results! Just leave a comment below.

---

© Copyright Kitchen Parade
2014, 2015, 2021 & 2022² (repub)