Memorial Day Weekend is coming up, and those delicious summer bbq's are just around the corner. I always recommend bringing a healthy dish when eating at someone else's home; not only is this a nice gesture, but it also provides at least one healthy thing for you to eat at the event! A big, gourmet salad can be an easy, yet impressive dish to bring to any bbq.
Here is a recipe for one of my all-time favorite salads! You can build your own salad using my Perfect Salad Guide, but this is a great option for something a bit more gourmet!
Ingredients:
Salad
5 ounces mixed salad greens, rinsed
1/2 cup dried cranberries
4 oz organic goat cheese
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
Candied Walnuts
1 cup walnuts
1 1/2 Tbsp. light brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. water
A few drops of vanilla extract
Dash of salt
Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing (whisk until smooth)
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. light brown sugar
1 garlic clove, crushed through a press
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Directions:
1. Place the cleaned mixed greens in a large bowl, and set aside.
2. Heat a medium size non-stick saucepan over medium-high heat. In a small bowl, combine all of the candied walnut ingredients, except the walnuts. Stir until blended. Place the plain walnuts on the saucepan, and toast them for about 3 minutes, stirring occassionally.
3. Drizzle the candied mixture over the walnuts, and stir for about another minute until they are evenly coated. Remove from pan, and place on parchment paper to cool. Once cooled, you can coursely chop them if you wish.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk all of the dressing ingredients together until smooth.
5. Add the cranberries, goat cheese pieces, walnuts, and tomatoes to the mixed greens. Finally, add the dressing and toss until the salad is evenly coated.
Xoxo,
Stefani