Spinach Walnut Salad with Raspberry Dressing

An easy salad with baby spinach, mandarin oranges, toasted walnuts, goat cheese and a fresh raspberry dressing.

So light and refreshing!

You’re going to want to serve this with your favorite protein and side dish pretty much any time you entertain.

Your guests will love it.

How to make Spinach Walnut Salad with Raspberry Dressing

Featured Ingredients

For the raspberry dressing:

• Raspberries: Grab a pint of fresh raspberries.
  • You could also use frozen raspberries; just thaw them first.
• Orange: You’ll use the zest and juice for ultimate flavor.
• Olive oil: The best oil to use for salad dressings.
• Red wine vinegar: Gives a little zesty, tangy flavor.
• Honey or sugar: For sweetness and balance.
• Dijon: To give the dressing body and umpf.

For the spinach salad:

• Spinach: Fresh baby spinach is the base of this salad, and it’s delicious.
• Mandarin oranges: Drained, from the can.
  • Or you could use fresh clementine wedges.
• Walnuts: Toasted for 30-60 seconds in a dry hot pan.
• Goat cheese: Crumbled, for that irreplacable tangy cheesiness.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Place the raspberries, orange zest and juice, olive oil, vinegar, honey or sugar, Dijon, and salt in the bowl of a blender or food processor.
2. Puree until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
3. Heat a small skillet to medium-low heat.
4. Add the walnuts to the dry skillet and toast about 60 seconds, tossing frequently, until lightly browned. Set aside to cool.
5. Build salads in 4 bowls with spinach, oranges, goat cheese, and toasted walnuts.
6. Drizzle with raspberry dressing.

Recipe Substitutions and Alterations

• Instead of raspberries: Try the dressing with blueberries, blackberries, strawberries or dark sweet cherries.
• Instead of red wine vinegar: Try with champagne or white wine vinegar.
• Instead of honey: Use granulated sugar.
• Instead of spinach: Try with baby kale, mixed greens, spring mix or arugula.
• Instead of walnuts: Try with pecans, sliced almonds, pistachios or pepitas.
• Instead of mandarin oranges: Try with fresh berries.
• Instead of goat cheese: Try with feta or blue cheese.

Nutrition Considerations

• To make this gluten free: This recipe is gluten free.
  • Be sure all packaged ingredients are gluten free.
• To make this dairy free: Skip the cheese.
• To make this vegan: Skip the cheese.
  • Use granulated sugar in the dressing instead of honey.
• To make this nut free: Skip the nuts.
  • Be sure all packaged ingredients are nut free.

Refreshing salads to make next time:

• Citrus Arugula Salad with Pomegranate Dressing
• Greek Salad with Feta Vinaigrette
• Roasted Acorn Squash Salad
• Mediterranean Kale Salad
• Almond Strawberry Salad with Fennel
• Salmon Nicoise Salad

Spinach, Goat Cheese and Walnut Salad with Raspberry Dressing

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A simple spinach salad with goat cheese, walnuts, mandarin oranges and (the best) raspberry dressing.

• Author: Julie Andrews
• Prep Time: 10-15 mins
• Cook Time: 0 mins
• Total Time: 10-15 mins
• Yield: Serves 6
• Category: Salads
• Method: No-Cook

Ingredients

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For the dressing:

• 1 cup fresh raspberries
• Zest and juice of ½ orange (about ¼ cup)
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey or granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ¼ teaspoon kosher or sea salt

 For the salad:

• ½ cup chopped walnuts
• 5 cups fresh baby spinach
• ½ cup mandarin oranges, drained
• ¼ cup crumbled goat cheese

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Instructions

1. Place the raspberries, orange zest and juice, olive oil, vinegar, honey or sugar, Dijon, and salt in the bowl of a blender or food processor. Puree until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
2. Heat a small skillet to medium-low heat. Add the walnuts to the dry skillet and toast about 60 seconds, tossing frequently, until lightly browned. Set aside to cool.
3. Build salads in 4 bowls with spinach, oranges, goat cheese, and toasted walnuts. Drizzle with raspberry dressing.

Notes

Substitution Tip: Omit the goat cheese for a dairy free salad. Swap in maple syrup or sugar instead of honey for a vegan salad.

Variation Tip: Try a mix of chopped kale, Swiss chard and mustard greens rather than spinach.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe
• Calories: 195
• Sugar: 6g
• Sodium: 94mg
• Fat: 17g
• Saturated Fat: 3g
• Unsaturated Fat: 14g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 10g
• Fiber: 3g
• Protein: 4g
• Cholesterol: 2mg