Spinach Salad with Persimmons, Avocado, Berries and Crumbled Goat Cheese with Honey Dijon Balsamic Vinaigrette
The secret to any good salad is a nice homemade salad dressing. This Honey Dijon Balsamic Vinaigrette is our go to dressing, a little bit savory, a little bit tart from the vinegar and emulsified into a thick, yummy dressing by the addition of the dijon and honey. It is good on just about anything. Spinach is always a good choice for a fruity salad and is best dressed with a slightly sweet dressing. I love adding persimmons to spinach salad, I have recently fallen in love with this custardy fruit and it’s firm, crunchy and sweet texture. We try to have them as often as possible during their limited season. There is always the Hass Avocado versus the Florida avocado debate, but you certainly get more bang for the buck from the large Florida ones. Personally, I prefer the Florida avocado. Top the salad with a little creamy goat cheese crumble, drizzle on the dressing and you have a great side dish or meal.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
8 ounces fresh rinsed, baby spinach leaves
2 persimmons, sliced into thin rounds
1 large Florida avocado or 2 small Haas avocados
Raspberries
Blackberries
4 ounces of crumbled goat cheese
Honey Dijon Balsamic Vinaigrette:
1/2 cup good, extra virgin olive oil
4 Tbs balsamic vinegar
2 Tbs Grainy Dijon mustard
4 Tbs Raw, Unfiltered Honey
1/2 tsp dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Make the dressing. Mix the olive oil with the balsamic vinegar and the thyme, whisk well. Add the grainy Dijon mustard and the honey and whisk until emulsified. Set aside or refrigerate. This dressing will keep a week in the refrigerator. If you are using a good olive oil, when the dressing is cold, the olive oil will solidify. So leftover dressing needs to be left out for about 15 minutes and stirred before use. An olive oil that is mixed with other less expensive oils will not turn solid.
Lay the spinach out on your serving platter. Top with the persimmon slices, the avocado, the berries and the cheese. Serve with dressing alongside.