Spinach Goat Cheese Salad (Printable)

Vibrant spinach salad with goat cheese, dried cranberries, candied pecans, and balsamic vinaigrette. Light, elegant, and ready in 20 minutes.

# Ingredient List:

→ Salad

01 - 5 oz baby spinach leaves, washed and dried
02 - 3.5 oz goat cheese, crumbled
03 - ½ cup dried cranberries
04 - ¾ cup candied pecans, roughly chopped

→ Balsamic Vinaigrette

05 - 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
06 - 1½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar
07 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
08 - 1 teaspoon honey
09 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

# Directions:

01 - In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper until emulsified. Set aside.
02 - In a large salad bowl, add the spinach leaves. Drizzle with half of the vinaigrette and toss gently to coat.
03 - Add the crumbled goat cheese, dried cranberries, and candied pecans to the salad.
04 - Drizzle over the remaining vinaigrette and toss lightly to combine.
05 - Transfer to serving plates immediately, garnished with extra pecans or cranberries if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than most people can decide what to eat, yet looks like you spent an hour on it.
  • The mix of creamy, tangy, sweet, and crunchy hits every craving at once without feeling heavy.
  • You can make it with whatever nuts or dried fruit you already have, and it still works beautifully.
02 -
  • Dress the salad just before serving, if it sits too long the spinach wilts and the pecans lose their crunch.
  • Crumble the goat cheese with your fingers, not a knife, so it stays in soft, creamy chunks instead of turning into a paste.
  • Taste your vinaigrette before adding it to the salad, balsamic vinegars vary wildly in sweetness and you might need a little more honey or a pinch more salt.
03 -
  • Toast your own pecans with a little butter, brown sugar, and a pinch of salt for candied pecans that taste better than anything store-bought.
  • Use a salad spinner to dry your spinach completely, even a little moisture will dilute the vinaigrette and make everything taste flat.
  • Add the goat cheese last and don't toss too aggressively, you want creamy crumbles, not a cheesy mush coating every leaf.
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