What makes the harvest salad truly stand out is the spinach coated with blue cheese, walnuts and dried cranberries. It is versatile enough to let you use the oil of your choice, although it is recommended to use walnut oil for that extra flavor. The end result is something that is full of fall flavors, provided the right balance of sweetness and textures has been maintained. With a balance of acidity, sweetness, bitterness and earthiness, this salad is also rich in textures. The crunchy nuts, the fibrous spinach and the creamy avocado together elevate the salad to another level! Perfect as a side to a heavy main or wholesome when eaten alone, this salad is a comfort food like none other, simple at the same time delicious!
Health benefits
No health expert disputed the nutritional value of nuts. They are considered as an excellent source of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Walnuts contain a rich reservoir of essential fatty acids and contain iron, selenium, calcium, zinc and vitamin.
Spinach brings with it vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C and a good amount of manganese, magnesium and iron as well.
All of these are great not just for the skin but also for the immune system as well.
Ingredients
1 can spinach, washed and split into bite sized pieces
1/2 cup of dried cranberries
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 avocado, properly peeled and diced
1 red onion, sliced
2 tbsp red raspberry jam
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
½ cup walnut oil
freshly ground black pepper as per taste
1 tbsp salt (or to taste)
2 tomatoes, chopped and diced
How To Make Harvest Salad
- Preheat the oven to about 380 degrees F.
- Neatly arrange the walnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet.
- Place the baking sheet in the oven for about 5 minutes or until you see the nuts begin to brown.
- In a separate large bowl, stir in spinach, walnuts, cranberries, avocado, onion and blue cheese.
- In a small bowl, stir in jam, walnut oil, pepper, vinegar and salt (to taste).
- Mix the salad just before serving.
Trivia
- A fully grown walnut tree can produce up to 300 kg of walnuts. To preserve their walnut trees, Kyrgyzstan considers them to be a national treasure.
- It is curious to note that while walnuts are native to Eastern Europe and western Asia, the name itself has very English roots.
- Walnut trees have fine grained wood structure which is valued in furniture making.