Sweet and Savory Summer Salad with Berries and Bacon
Nutritional Info
- Servings Per Recipe: 4
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories: 388.3
- Total Fat: 31.6 g
- Cholesterol: 15.0 mg
- Sodium: 511.5 mg
- Total Carbs: 23.7 g
- Dietary Fiber: 4.6 g
- Protein: 9.8 g
View full nutritional breakdown of Sweet and Savory Summer Salad with Berries and Bacon calories by ingredient
Introduction
This salad is a wonderful mix of sweet, salty, crispy, tangy and filled with antioxidants as well as fresh summer flavor This salad is a wonderful mix of sweet, salty, crispy, tangy and filled with antioxidants as well as fresh summer flavorNumber of Servings: 4
Ingredients
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6 cups of fresh organic Spinach
I cup fresh organic blueberries
1 cup sliced fresh organic strawberries
4 oz. Athenos Feta Cheese, regular flavored crumbles
1 cup of cucumber slices, unpeeled, sliced thin and halved or quartered
1/4 lb of bacon, thick-cut preferably
1/2 cup of raw organic pecans, halves broken or chopped into large pieces
1 1/2 TB packed organic brown sugar
Dressing:
4 TB Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Organic
4 TB Strawberry Aged Balsamic Vinegar, organic
Tips
Do not add the dressing to the salad ahead of time, you want to have all the flavors separate and fresh until the last minute.
Vegetarians can omit the cheese and bacon and still have a very protein-rich main dish salad.
I buy all my EVOO's and balsamics at a specialty organic store. Since you generally use fairly small amounts of these ingredients, I find it is well worth the extra price to buy top quality organic oils and vinegars.
Directions
Cut the thick-sliced bacon into about 1" pieces. Spread out on a baking sheet and bake in a 450 degree oven until browned and starting to crisp, about 10 minutes. Turn the oven to a low broil, add the pecans to the bacon pieces, stir to coat all evenly. Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the bacon and pecans. Place under broiler on top rack of oven until sugar appears to have dissolved. Take out of oven immediately and set aside to cool. (i set it on a paper towel to absorb any excessive grease).
To prepare the salad: Mix spinach, blueberries, strawberries and cucumbers gently in a large salad serving bowl.
To prepare the dressing: Mix equal amounts of aged strawberry balsamic vinegar and EVOO in a covered container and shake well to mix thoroughly. (We use this salad dressing all the time on many types of salads, so I mix it in larger batches and just stored covered on counter).
Sprinkle the Feta cheese crumbles over the salad. Add the cooled bacon and pecan mixture. Toss very gently to mix well.
Serve with the dressing on the side.
The nutritional analysis allows 2 TB of dressing per serving. You may want more or less to taste.
Serving Size: Makes (4) 2-1/2 cup servings, suitable as a light entree
To prepare the salad: Mix spinach, blueberries, strawberries and cucumbers gently in a large salad serving bowl.
To prepare the dressing: Mix equal amounts of aged strawberry balsamic vinegar and EVOO in a covered container and shake well to mix thoroughly. (We use this salad dressing all the time on many types of salads, so I mix it in larger batches and just stored covered on counter).
Sprinkle the Feta cheese crumbles over the salad. Add the cooled bacon and pecan mixture. Toss very gently to mix well.
Serve with the dressing on the side.
The nutritional analysis allows 2 TB of dressing per serving. You may want more or less to taste.
Serving Size: Makes (4) 2-1/2 cup servings, suitable as a light entree