Name: Little City Diners Spinach Salad Recipe
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 8 cups baby spinach; 1.5 cups apple (firm, e.g., Honeycrisp), cored and thinly sliced; 1 cups red seedless grapes, halved; 3 oz Danish blue cheese, crumbled; 1 cups pecan halves; 1 tbsp brown sugar; 1 tsp maple syrup; 1 tsp unsalted butter; 1 tsp smoked paprika; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; 1 tsp kosher salt; 0.25 tsp black pepper; 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil; 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar; 1 tsp Dijon mustard; 1 tsp honey; 1 tbsp shallot, minced; 0.5 tsp salt; 0.25 tsp black pepper

Method

Toasted Spiced Pecans

1
Toast and spice pecans
Line a baking sheet with parchment or use a large skillet. In a small bowl combine brown sugar, smoked paprika, ground cinnamon, kosher salt, and black pepper. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat (or warm in microwave). Add pecan halves and warm 1 minute, stirring to coat. Sprinkle the sugar-spice mix over the pecans and add maple syrup. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, about 2–3 minutes, until the sugar begins to caramelize and pecans are fragrant. If using oven: toss pecans with butter, maple syrup, and spice mix, spread on baking sheet and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 6–8 minutes, stirring once, until toasted and glossy. Transfer pecans to a sheet of parchment to cool and harden; break apart any large clusters.

Dressing

2
Whisk dressing
In a small bowl or jar combine apple cider vinegar, minced shallot, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and black pepper. Whisk or shake until combined. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking (or add oil to jar and shake vigorously) until the dressing emulsifies. Taste and adjust seasoning—add a bit more honey if too tart or more salt to taste. Set aside at room temperature for flavors to meld for 5–10 minutes.

Salad Assembly

3
Prepare fruit and greens
Rinse and thoroughly dry the baby spinach in a salad spinner or with clean towels. Core the apple; thinly slice into half-moons. If you prefer apple slices to resist browning, toss the slices briefly in 1 teaspoon lemon juice (optional). Halve the seedless grapes.
4
Assemble salad
In a large mixing bowl combine the dried baby spinach, sliced apples, and halved grapes. Drizzle about half of the prepared dressing over the ingredients and toss gently to coat evenly. Taste and add more dressing as needed (you may not need all dressing).
5
Finish and serve
Transfer tossed salad to a serving bowl or divide among plates. Sprinkle crumbled Danish blue cheese evenly over the salad, then scatter the cooled toasted spiced pecans on top. Finish with a light grind of black pepper if desired. Serve immediately so the pecans remain crisp and the apples stay fresh.

Spinach Salad Recipe

Ingredients

Salad

Toasted Spiced Pecans

Dressing

Method

Toasted Spiced Pecans

Toast and spice pecans

Dressing

Whisk dressing

Salad Assembly

Prepare fruit and greens

Assemble salad

Finish and serve

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