You know how I love my spinach salads, especially when there’s an abundance of fresh summer strawberries involved! And better yet, in this salad there’s also a rich balsamic vinaigrette, salty, tangy feta and crunchy, sweet candied pecans involved as well. In other words this is one of the best summer salads! It just has the perfect blend of flavors and textures going on. I was loving every last bite and of course I was heading back for more.
For these strawberries, I usedRubbermaid FreshWorks™ Produce Saver to extend their freshness. This product has brought me some new found sanity! I hate when I buy fresh produce and it goes bad before I have a chance to use it. And I’ve tried so many different things in attempts to extend the life of my fruit and greens but none of it has ever worked. And these really do! So far I’m out to day 7 from the day I purchased the strawberries (I’m writing this the day after pictures were taken and of course they are still looking great).
These Fresh Works Produce Savers use patented FreshVent™ technology that keeps produce fresher up to 80% longer than traditional produce packaging. Yes, really 80%! I took some before and after shots of strawberries in the Produce Saver vs. not and I cannot believe the difference! Check them out below. I used a bunch of the strawberries here but I’m feeling confident the remaining strawberries will continue to stay fresh even longer! Simply remove the produce from the store packaging and place it, unwashed, in the Produce Saver and voilà – fresh fruit and leafy greens for days!
*Giveaway*
Want a set of your own? Here’s your chance to win! Simply comment below for your chance to be entered to win your own three-piece set! Rubbermaid will be giving away one set to one lucky reader :)!
PrintStrawberry Spinach Salad with Candied Pecans Feta and Balsamic Vinaigrette
Yield: About 6 servings
Ingredients
- Vinaigrette
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 Tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 Tbsp honey
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3/4 cup broken or roughly chopped pecans
- 1 1/2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1/2 Tbsp butter
- 10 oz baby spinach
- 1 lb fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 5 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
- 1/3 small red onion, thinly sliced
Candied pecans
Salad
Directions
- For the vinaigrette:
- Add vinegar to a small saucepan, bring to a boil over medium heat and allow to boil until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Pour into a jar or bowl, add olive oil, dijon mustard, honey and whisk to blend while seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Thin with a little water if desired. Set aside.
- For the pecans:
- Add walnuts, brown sugar and butter to a small non-stick skillet and cook over medium-heat, stirring constantly until sugar starts to melt and caramelize, about 2 – 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate in a single layer to cool.
- For the salad:
- In a salad bowl toss together spinach, strawberries, half of the feta, red onion and pecans. Drizzle about 1/3 of the dressing over salad then plate and drizzle remaining dressing over individual portions and top with remaining half of the feta. Serve immediately.
- Recipe source: Cooking Classy
