Photo of Spinach salad with pears, almonds and cranberries by WW

Spinach salad with pears, almonds and cranberries

6
Points®
Total Time
10 min
Prep
10 min
Cook
0 min
Serves
4
Difficulty
Easy
Every good recipe needs a secret ingredient or a story. This one hits the mark by utilizing pancake syrup to add the maple sweetness to the dressing. The beautiful contrast of the red pears against the bright green spinach is stunning and a great way to begin a meal. The nuts bring some crunch and depth of flavor to each bite. Though pears are called for, apples can also be used here. Pair this salad with any protein, it is incredibly versatile. Ready in just 10 minutes, you may want to have this for a quick and light weeknight meal topped with grilled chicken or shrimp.

Ingredients

Red wine vinegar

2 Tbsp

Water

2 Tbsp

Olive oil

2 Tbsp

Mustard

2 tsp, coarse, ground

Pancake syrup

2 tsp, maple-flavored suggested

Shallot

2 tsp, chopped, minced

Table salt

¼ tsp

Black pepper

¼ tsp, freshly ground

Spinach

6 oz, fresh, baby leaves (about 8 cups)

Pear

1 large, red, ripe, cored, thinly sliced into 12 pieces*

Chopped almonds

6 Tbsp, unsalted, dry-roasted**

Dried cranberries

¼ cup(s)

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, water, oil, mustard, syrup, shallots, salt and pepper until blended; pour 1/4 cup of dressing into a large bowl. Add spinach and toss until coated.
  2. Arrange 2 cups of dressed spinach on each of 4 salad plates. Top each with 3 pear slices and then sprinkle each with 1 1/2 tablespoons of almonds and 1 tablespoon of dried cranberries. Drizzle each salad with about 1 tablespoon of remaining dressing and serve. Yields 1 salad per serving.

Notes

*Red pears add beautiful color to this salad but feel free to substitute any ripe pear.**If you can’t find roasted almonds, roast your own by spreading almonds on a baking sheet and roasting them in a 350ºF oven for 10 minutes.In summer months, swap ripe peaches or nectarines for the pears.