Emeril's Spinach Dried Cherry and Goat Cheese Salad with Warm

Elevate your salad game with Emeril's Spinach, Dried Cherry, and Goat Cheese Salad with Warm Shallot Vinaigrette—a perfect balance of vibrant flavors and textures. This stunning dish marries tender baby spinach, sweet-tart dried cherries, creamy crumbled goat cheese, and crunchy toasted pecans, all brought together with a luxurious warm vinaigrette made from shallots, Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, and honey. Ready in just 20 minutes, it’s a show-stopping option for a quick lunch, an elegant dinner party starter, or even a decadent side dish. The gentle warmth of the dressing enhances the salad's flavor profile while creating an irresistible, freshly prepared appeal. Ideal for fans of simple yet sophisticated recipes, this salad is healthy, satisfying, and guaranteed to impress with every bite.

Nutriscore Rating: 58/100

Prep Time:15 mins

Cook Time:5 mins

Total Time:20 mins

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 6 cups Baby spinach leaves
• 0.5 cups Dried cherries
• 4 oz Goat cheese, crumbled
• 0.5 cups Pecans, toasted and roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp Shallots, finely minced
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp Red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp Honey
• 0.25 cups Olive oil
• 0.5 tsp Salt
• 0.25 tsp Black pepper, freshly ground

Directions

Step 1

1. Prepare the base of the salad by placing the baby spinach leaves in a large salad bowl.

Step 2

2. Scatter the dried cherries and toasted pecans over the spinach.

Step 3

3. Add the crumbled goat cheese evenly across the top of the salad.

Step 4

4. To make the warm shallot vinaigrette, heat a small non-stick skillet over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

Step 5

5. Add the minced shallots to the skillet and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes, or until softened and fragrant.

Step 6

6. Stir in the Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, and honey. Let the mixture gently warm for about 1 minute.

Step 7

7. Gradually whisk in the remaining olive oil while the skillet is over low heat. Continue whisking until the vinaigrette is well combined.

Step 8

8. Season the vinaigrette with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Step 9

9. Remove the skillet from the heat and immediately pour the warm vinaigrette over the prepared salad.

Step 10

10. Toss the salad gently to coat all the ingredients with the warm shallot vinaigrette.

Step 11

11. Serve the salad immediately while the vinaigrette is still warm and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Serving size	(483.8g)

Amount per serving	% Daily Value*
Calories	1407.5

Total Fat 121.7g	0%
Saturated Fat 28.5g	0%
Polyunsaturated Fat 5.3g
Cholesterol 60.7mg	0%
Sodium 1920.3mg	0%
Total Carbohydrate 52.6g	0%
Dietary Fiber 9.1g	0%
Total Sugars 39.5g
Protein 30.3g	0%

Vitamin D 0IU	0%
Calcium 357.3mg	0%
Iron 6.0mg	0%
Potassium 1083.5mg	0%

*The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Source of Calories

Fat: 76.8%

Protein: 8.5%

Carbs: 14.7%