Image from vegangoodness.com
By Ayinde
One of the best things about summer to me is the fruit. I love to put fruit in salads, and another great addition to a summer salad is nuts. The sweet, salty, cold, crunch of a summer salad is an explosion of the taste buds–sorta like a cool New York rooftop party in your mouth. I like spinach with the following summer salad recipe.
However, one thing to remember about spinach is it wilts easily, so you will start out with a huge salad and once the acid from the vinegar hits it, the clock starts ticking and your big salad will be reduced to about half the size. Is that bad? No, it’s just a different texture–one I like, but some do not. I recommend you try it both ways.
I’m not a “cheese person,” but that does not mean you’re not. So for this, and some future salad recipes in this series, I will be recommending the Sheese brand of cheese. They are a European company and have some tasty “cheese” products, like faux feta “cheese.” It’s hard to find in stores outside of major cities like NYC, San Fran, LA, Seattle, and Chicago. It’s also is available by mail order.
Spinach & Chopped Grape Salad with Salted Almonds
2 tablespoons toasted almonds, sliced
1 (6-oz.) package fresh baby spinach, thoroughly washed
1 cup seedless red grapes, sliced
1/4 cup crumbled Sheese feta “cheese”
1/4 cup Organicville pomegranate vinaigrette
Technique:
Rough chop spinach. Toss together spinach, grapes, “cheese,” and vinaigrette in a serving bowl. Sprinkle with pine nuts, and serve immediately for crunchy spinach. Allow to set for 10 minutes for a wilted salad.
So what’s your favorite summer salad combo?
