A friend brought a similar salad to this to a Friendsgiving we hosted and I was in love at first bite. This salad is hearty, filling, nutritious and full of rich colors making it sooooo pleasing to the eye. I roast the beets and the butternut in the oven at the same time on different racks.
To make this #dinnerdoneby9am I roast the beet and butternut in the morning, assemble the dressing and pick the stems off the spinach, then I refrigerate everything all day and assemble the salad just before eating.
Salad
-8 oz baby spinach
-1/4 cup dried cherries
-1/4 cup spiced pecans (make your own or buy them at Trader Joe’s)
-1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
-1 roasted beet (roast at 375 for 1 hour, or buy already roasted at Costco)
-1 lb butternut squash, diced, tossed with 1 Tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper and roast at 375 for 30 minutes, stirring halfway through)
Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette
-2 Tbsp maple syrup
-1 Tbsp Dijon
-1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
-1/2 cup olive oil
-1/2 tsp salt
-1/4 tsp pepper
For the vinaigrette:
Whisk, shake, or use a food processor to combine the dressing ingredients.
For the salad:
Place spinach in a salad bowl, add vinaigrette to your taste, then toss well. Layer remaining ingredients on top of spinach and serve.
