Salads and I…well we’re not exactly friends. I like the idea of a salad but I mostly feel like I can get my nutrients by eating my protein and fruits/veggies separately or other pleasurable means of having my greens. I love love love steamed, roasted, baked, or fried veggies. So what’s up with this salad dislike? I’ll tell you my sordid little food secret: I abhor lettuce – especially iceberg lettuce. It really feels like I’m having water that has a weird leafy bitter aftertaste that I also have to crunch. Blegh!
So here’s what I’ve been working on: salads that I can LOVE. In this 3rd installment of my friends and family series, I adapted a salad from one that I made with one of my best friends when I went to visit her this summer. The Strawberry Pecan Spinach Salad is born!
In this version, I’ve added a few more ingredients to add flavour and texture – my housemates/family were happy with the result! While you could argue that some bits are not extremely healthy, the rest of the salad offers a ton of nutrients and it helps make the salad more interesting and more inviting for those of us who struggle to eat better day to day. If you become more of a salad eater one day, or already are, feel free to change the candied pecans for regular not salted pecans!
Pecans are designated as heart healthy with more than 19 vitamins and minerals, contains fibre and protein, and is naturally sodium free. Combined with the protein in chicken, and the numerous vitamins and minerals you get from the veggies included, this salad is packed with wonderful things! Bonus: delicious balsamic glaze that adds a slightly sweet tart as dressing.
Other salad recipes:
Spring Pear & Blue Cheese Salad
Strawberry Pecan Spinach Salad
A delicious, filling, and exciting salad that can be enjoyed by the entire family! Gluten free and dairy free with an option to make change the protein to make the meal vegan. Savoury, sweet, tart, and crunchy - this salad makes your entire meal interesting.
Ingredients
- 2 large bunches spinach about 3 cups
- 1/4 large white onion, thinly sliced
- 3 slices bacon
- 3 chicken breasts
- 1 cup strawberries, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, in halves
- 1/2 cucumber, diced
- 1/2 cup candied/honey roasted pecans or regular pecans
- balsamic glaze, to taste
Instructions
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Fry slices of bacon until crispy, then remove from heat and slice into small bits. Set bacon aside. Slice up chicken breast in bacon grease and fry until cooked through.
Wash the bunches of spinach and remove leaves from any long stems. Chop and dice remaining food ingredients except for the pecans. Add spinach to a large bowl, then toss in the cooked meat and fruit + veggies. Add as much balsamic glaze as you would like, and toss. Pecans can be added to each individual's salad bowl or in the main salad. Enjoy!
