Kim's Salad

I knew my friend Kim for several years and we ate at each other’s houses regularly before she made what I now call “Kim’s Salad.”  I asked her why she hid this amazing salad from me all of this time? I mean, this salad is the bomb diggity. She told me that quite a few years ago, she had a similar salad at a restaurant (now out of business) and ate it so often that she got sick of it.  She couldn't eat it again for years. Finally enough time had gone by that she decided to make it again. It was a good answer. She is forgiven. Now I make it all the time. I just can't get enough of it! In fact, the salad you see in the pics below- I just took to Kim's house for dinner!

A Little Nutty

My recipe for Candied Pecans is included with Kim's Salad. They take less than 10 minutes to make and are worth every second! Sweetened with pure maple syrup and brown sugar, they are an absolute gem. You can substitute with another type of nut in my recipe, if you prefer. Another option is to use a salted, roasted nut or even a raw nut if you want to lower the amount of sugar and/or salt in the salad. I was lazy the other day and made Kim's Salad with plain pecans and it was still amazing.

The Dressing

Yes. There is a lot of sweetness going on in Kim's Salad. I see it almost as a dessert salad. However, the goat cheese adds some tartness and of course the pecans add nuttiness and crunch. So it definitely is not one note in flavor. Then, Brianna's Poppyseed dressing takes it over the top. The apple cider vinegar and mustard flour in it adds a good amount of tang. Of course you can use any dressing you want, but I highly recommend trying Brianna's first (if it fits your diet needs). It is sooo flavorful and really makes this salad pop. You can also add in some cooked Sweet and Spicy Chicken, Cumin and Lime Marinated Flank Steak or Browned Butter and Sage Scallops to make it a meal.

Like Bread and Butter

Some soups that would be great with this salad are Vegan Creamy Butternut Squash Soup, Mom’s Best Matzo Ball Soup or Italian Wedding Soup. Gourmet Grilled Cheese or Pizza Grilled Cheese would also be awesome for a hearty lunch. Honestly, Kim’s Salad will be awesome with just about anything.

Kim's Salad

5 from 1 vote

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Servings: 4 servings

Calories:

Ingredients  

2x3x4x

• 1 5 oz. container baby spinach
• 1 4 oz. log honey or regular goat cheese
• 6-7 medium strawberries
• 1 cup pecan halves - unsalted, unroasted
• 1 tablespoon butter
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoon pure maple syrup
• salt to taste
• Bianna's Poppyseed Dressing

Instructions

• Melt butter in a saute pan over medium heat, add the pecans and remaining ingredients. Stir continuously until sugar crystals dissolve and mixture bubbles. Be sure that the heat doesn't get too high and burn the sugar or pecans.
• Pour onto a sheet of parchment paper and let cool until ready to use. These can be made ahead and stored in your fridge or freezer in a sealed container or bag for up to a month.
• While the pecans are cooling, place the spinach in a large serving bowl.
• Rinse and remove the greens from the strawberries. Cut them into bite size pieces. Scatter the strawberries over the spinach.
• Pull small portions of goat cheese off of the log of cheese and scatter them on top of the spinach and strawberries.
• Sprinkle the Candied Pecans on top and the salad is ready to be served with Brianna’s Poppyseed Dressing. You can also add cooked, chicken, turkey, steak, fish or seafood to the salad to make it a meal.