The best salads for me have the freshest, seasonal ingredients. But also, the least amount of ingredients. I like to make 1 ingredient the STAR of the show and then complement it with texture and crunch. In this strawberry and spinach salad, seasonal strawberries, wild if you can find them, are the BEST. The fresh ricotta gets firm and creamy when you strain the liquid and it adds a nice creamy texture to the salad that blends nicely with the strawberries. The maple walnuts add a nice crunch and the balsamic dressing brings it all together.
For the pairing, I chose a Rosé wine from the Tavel region of France. The fruit flavor in the wine tastes like strawberry and orange which pairs very nicely with the fruit in the salad. Tavel wines are also more robust and spicy which I love with the arugula. Check out my Rosé pairing page to learn more about Tavel Rosé.
Strawberry & Spinach Salad
Ingredients
- 6 cups baby spinach
- 2 cups arugula
- 2 cups of fresh strawberries, sliced
- ½ cup of fresh ricotta
- ½ cup walnut halves
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- salt & pepper to taste
Directions
- Step 1 Preheat oven to 300 degrees
- Step 2 For the walnuts, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place walnuts in an even layer. Roast for 5 minutes. Remove walnuts from the oven and place in a bowl. Mix in 1 tablespoon maple syrup and lightly sprinkle with Kosher salt. Place the walnuts back on the baking sheet in an even layer. Roast for another 10 minutes until toasted. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.
- Step 3 Place the ricotta in a paper towel-lined strainer for about 1 hour. Set aside.
- Step 4 For the dressing, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, and the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside
- Step 5 To serve, toss the spinach, arugula, and strawberries in a large bowl. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Add in the ricotta cheese and toss lightly to combine. Spoon the dressing over the salad and toss again with salt & pepper. Finish the salad with the toasted walnuts.
