Cranberry Nut Salad Recipe

Prepare greens

Rinse the baby spinach in cold water, spin or pat dry thoroughly. Place the spinach in a large serving bowl and chill briefly while you prepare other components.

Prepare cheese

If using bocconcini, drain and halve or quarter to bite-size pieces. If using a ball of fresh mozzarella, tear into small pieces. Scatter the mozzarella over the spinach and gently toss once to combine.

Prep fruits and onion

Slice dried apricots into thin julienne strips. Thinly slice red onion if using and separate into rings. Add dried cranberries and apricot strips to the bowl with spinach and mozzarella.

Add nuts

If almonds are raw, roughly chop or leave whole for crunch and toast briefly in a dry skillet over medium heat 3–4 minutes until fragrant (shake pan often). If already roasted, you can briefly toast to refresh flavor or use as-is. Add chopped or whole almonds and candied pecans to the bowl.

Toss and finish

Hold back about 2 tablespoons of nuts and 1 tablespoon of dried cranberries for garnish. When dressing is ready, add most of the dressing to the salad (reserve a small amount to adjust), and toss gently with tongs until everything is evenly coated. Taste and add more dressing if needed. Sprinkle reserved nuts and cranberries over the top for presentation.

In a small bowl or jar, combine red wine vinegar, minced shallot, Dijon mustard, honey, grated garlic, salt, and pepper. Whisk or shake to combine until honey dissolves.

Slowly drizzle in the extra-virgin olive oil while whisking continuously (or add oil to jar and shake vigorously) until dressing emulsifies and becomes slightly thickened. Taste and adjust: add a pinch more salt for brightness, 1/2 teaspoon more honey if too tart, or an extra teaspoon of vinegar if you prefer more acidity.

Let the dressing sit for 5–10 minutes at room temperature to allow the shallot to mellow and flavors to marry before dressing the salad.