Mixed Greens Salad with Dried Figs, Cranberries, Walnuts & Goat Cheese, Served with Citrus Vinaigrette
The inspiration for this salad was my cleaning out the pantry after the holidays! I found all these different dried fruits and nuts left over from my various creations. I decided to toss them with some beautiful winter greens, some goat cheese (everything is better with goat cheese!) and make a citrus vinaigrette, since I had copious amounts of limes in the garden. It turned out to be my family’s new favorite salad. It’s a perfect way to either to start your meal, as we do in the U.S, or end it, as they do in Europe. It could actually be it’s own meal in itself since there’s so many goodies in there. Feel free to change up the dried fruits and nuts so whatever you find in your pantry.
Ingredients
Vinaigrette:
- 3 T Lime Juice
- 1 T Dijon Mustard
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Pepper
- ½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salad:
- 10 oz Mixed Salad Greens Arugula or Spinach (8-10 handfuls)
- 2 Belgium Endives sliced
- 1 Small Head Radicchio washed and torn into bite size pieces
- 1 cup Dried Figs chopped
- 1 cup Dried Cranberries
- 1 cup Toasted Walnuts roughly chopped
- 10 oz Goat Cheese crumbled
Instructions
- Vinaigrette: In a small glass jar with a lid, add the lime juice and mustard, five grinds of pepper and salt. Put on the lid and shake.
- Add the olive oil.
- Recover and shake until the dressing is emulsified.
- Salad: In a large salad bowl, add the salad greens, figs, cranberries, nuts, and goat cheese. Add just enough dressing to coat the salad greens. Toss the salad and then adjust the seasoning to your liking.
- Place the dressed leaves on a platter or individual plates. Serve immediately.
Notes
TIPS & TRICKS
– To toast nuts, place them on a baking sheet in a 350° F oven for 5 minutes. Give the pan a shake and toast for an additional 3 minutes until slightly brown. Be careful: they burn easily! Chop as desired. – You can substitute lemon or orange juice for the lime juice, or use any vinegar. – The vinaigrette will separate, but just shake to re-emulsify. It will keep in your fridge for up to two weeks. – One handful of salad greens is equal to one serving. – You can substitute any dried fruit: dates, dried blueberries, cherries, or apricots for the figs and cranberries. – You can substitute almonds, pistachios, or pecans for the walnuts. ¼ cup of walnuts has been said to help promote good brain health.
– To toast nuts, place them on a baking sheet in a 350° F oven for 5 minutes. Give the pan a shake and toast for an additional 3 minutes until slightly brown. Be careful: they burn easily! Chop as desired. – You can substitute lemon or orange juice for the lime juice, or use any vinegar. – The vinaigrette will separate, but just shake to re-emulsify. It will keep in your fridge for up to two weeks. – One handful of salad greens is equal to one serving. – You can substitute any dried fruit: dates, dried blueberries, cherries, or apricots for the figs and cranberries. – You can substitute almonds, pistachios, or pecans for the walnuts. ¼ cup of walnuts has been said to help promote good brain health.