Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Pecan and Craisin Spinach Salad with Balsamic Dijon Dressing (Vegan, Gluten Free)


Can you believe tomorrow is Thanksgiving?! I saw that tomorrow is also the first day of  Hanukkah. I'm not Jewish, but I think it's pretty awesome that those two holidays are falling on the same day and won't again for more than 70, 000 years. Crazy!


I'll be celebrating Thanksgiving with Sam's extended family this year and I was asked to bring a salad. I knew I wanted to make something simple because let's be honest, no one counts down the days til Thanksgiving for the salad. I had a rough idea of what exactly I wanted to put in it, but it seemed too simple, incomplete almost. That is until I found this recipe on the Huffington Post's website. It was exactly what I was looking to make, but with the addition of the perfect dressing to tie it all together. Earlier today I prepped the dressing and the pecans so that I could try out the salad to make sure I wasn't bringing something tomorrow that would taste less than delicious. And man, oh man is this good. As soon as I finished eating the salad that I used in these photos I immediately wanted more. You can be sure that I am counting down the hours to when I can eat more of it!


This salad comes together in less than fifteen minutes and features the holiday flavors that we all love while still leaving you with room for the mashed potatoes and stuffing. For the recipe click this link to the Huffington Post's website:

***Note the recipe on the website is for a lot of salad, so if you're expecting a smaller crowd you may want to minimize the amount. I decided to only go with a pound of spinach and adjust the amounts of the other ingredients from there.


I hope those of you celebrating the holidays this weekend have a wonderful time with family and friends!
Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Hanukkah!

Do you usually eat salads at holiday meals?
What types of salads do you like to have?




6 comments:

  1. Wow thats crazy they're both on the same day! And this salad looks so good. I love craisins, but I've never had them in a salad before! I'm going to have to give it a try :)

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    1. Yeah, I'm usually not a fan of fruit in my salad, but dried cranberries in this one are a must!

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  2. This looks exceptionally delicious! I love salads that have sweet, savoury and crunch all in one!

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    1. Definitely! That's how I feel about most food!

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  3. I hope you had a fabulous Thanksgiving! This is such a perfect fall salad--the deep greens, the beautiful cranberries, oh my!

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    1. Thanks Kiersten! Hope your quiet Thanksgiving was great, too!

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