Amazing Spinach Salad with Sweet-Spicy Nuts, Apples, Feta and Bacon

Amazing Spinach Salad with Sweet-Spicy Nuts, Apples, Feta and Bacon puts red wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil and of garlic at the center of a salad recipe and finishes in about 30 minutes, enough for 8 servings.

• Yield 8 servings
• Ready in 30 minutes
• Prep 25 minutes
• Cook 10 minutes

Ingredients

Red Wine Vinaigrette

• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 clove of garlic , pressed or finely minced
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt , more or less to taste
• Black pepper to taste

Sweet Spicy Nuts

• 2 tablespoons water
• ½ cup granulated or brown sugar
• Pinch cayenne pepper , more to taste if you want
• Pinch salt
• 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Salad

• 16 ounces baby spinach or spring greens , or a combination
• ½ small red onion , slivered ( about tempering the onion flavor)
• 6 to 8 slices bacon , regular or thick cut, cooked and chopped
• 1 cup feta cheese crumbles , more or less to taste
• 1 cup dried cranberries or cherries , more or less to taste
• 1 to 2 honey crisp apples , cored and sliced thin

Instructions

1. For the dressing, blend all the ingredients until smooth or combine in a jar and shake until well-combined. Refrigerate until needed (or up to several days)
2. For the nuts, add the water, sugar, salt and cayenne pepper to a skillet set over medium heat. Stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and cook for 1 minute until the sugar is dissolved. Add the nuts and stir to coat. Cook for another 1-2 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring slowly but constantly. Spread the nuts evenly on a parchment lined baking sheet and let cool. Break into pieces.
3. To assemble the salad, toss all the salad ingredients together along with the cooled nuts. Toss salad with the dressing OR serve the dressing alongside.

Dress it just before it goes to the table so the leaves stay crisp.