So, I thought I had some lettuce in the refrigerator. I did, I just didn't have much--maybe a handful. What I did have was fresh spinach--but not the baby kind usually found in salads. That was fine. After washing the spinach well, I removed the tough stems and combined the spinach with the little bit of lettuce I had left. Because the spinach wasn't the most tender in creation, I decided a sweet vinaigrette might help soften it. It did. Then, to continue the sweet/tart theme, I added some halved green grapes and chopped apple. Shredded carrots and chopped green onions upped the vegetable count in this nutritious salad. A little feta cheese provided creaminess and a salty tang. Maybe being low on lettuce isn't always a bad thing.
Spinach-Apple-Grape Salad -- Serves 4+
3 tablespoons of olive oil
4-5 tablespoons of cider vinegar
2-3 tablespoons of strawberry preserves
1/4 teaspoon of lemon pepper
1 cup (or handful) of mixed lettuce greens (baby greens, etc.)
4-5 cups of spinach, washed, picked over, and tough stems removed
1/2 - 3/4 cup of seedless green grapes, halved
1 medium red tart apple cored and chopped into small pieces (1/4-inch or so)
1/4 cup of shredded carrots
2 or 3 green onions chopped (including green parts)
1/4 cup of crumbled feta cheese
In a large salad bowl, whisk together the oil, cider vinegar, strawberry preserves, and lemon pepper until well combined. On top of the dressing toss in the mixed greens and spinach. Toss them with the dressing. Add the grapes, apple, carrots, green onions, and feta and toss the salad again until well mixed. Serve the salad immediately or refrigerate it while you get the remainder of your dinner ready.
