Spinach Salad with Honey Dressing and Honeyed Pecans

By ruthg

Makes 6-8 servings, Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Southern Living

MARCH 2014

Ingredients

• Honey Dressing:
• 1 (6-oz.) package baby spinach
• 1 cup quartered fresh strawberries
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
• 1/2 cup fresh blueberries
• Honey Dressing
• 3 to 4 cooked bacon slices, crumbled
• 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
• Honeyed Pecans
• .
• .
• 1/3 cup white balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil $
• .
• .
• Honeyed Pecans:
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 cup pecan halves
• Parchment paper
• Cooking spray
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• Pinch of ground red pepper

Preparation

Step 1

Toss together first 4 ingredients and 1/3 cup dressing. Sprinkle with bacon, cheese, and pecans. Serve with remaining dressing.
.
.
Honey Dressing:
Whisk together vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. Add olive oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly until smooth.
.
.
Honeyed Pecans:
Preheat oven to 325°. Microwave honey in a bowl at HIGH 20 seconds. Stir in pecan halves. Coat a parchment paper-lined jelly-roll pan with cooking spray; spread pecans in a single layer on pan. Combine sugar, salt, and a pinch of ground red pepper; sprinkle over pecans. Bake 15 minutes or until toasted, stirring after 8 minutes. Cool completely; break into pieces.