Spinach, pear, and cranberry salad is easy to make, and is a lightly sweet and healthy side dish that goes well with a variety of meals. The ingredients are simple, and include:
Maple syrup
Balsamic vinegar
Olive oil
Oregano
Small amount of chipotle pepper
Spinach
Diced pears
Dried cranberries
Sliced almonds
Pumpkin seeds
This spinach, pear, and cranberry salad is easy to make. It only takes about 15 minutes to add the ingredients to a bowl, mix up the dressing, and serve! This salad can make a great appetizer or side dish.
This salad is healthy, and good for a low sodium diet because there is no added salt.
To use this salad as a meal, add additional filling ingredients such as chickpeas, quinoa, soy curls, or tofu.
Wondering what type of pear to use? Any pear will work, but you may prefer different textures or flavours. A crisp type of pear works well for salad because it will hold its shape and add a nice crunch. Softer pears will work, too; just be careful when dicing them so you do not crush the pieces. If you would like more information about different kinds of pears, you can see descriptions of different pear varieties here.
I have made this salad with different kinds of pears, and it has been good with each kind I have tried. If you do not have pears on hand, you could use another fruit such as apples, grapes, strawberries, or kiwi fruit.
Spinach, pear, and cranberry salad
Ingredients
Salad
- 3 cups Spinach
- 1 Pear, diced
- 1/4 cup Dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup Sliced almonds
- 1/4 cup Pumpkin seeds
Dressing
- 1 tbsp Maple syrup
- 1 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 tbsp Olive oil
- 1/2 tsp Oregano
- 1/4 tsp Chipotle pepper
Instructions
- Wash and dry the spinach. Chop the leaves to the desired size.
- Wash and dry the pear, remove the stem, and remove the stem and core. Dice into small pieces.
- Add the spinach, diced pear, sliced almonds, and pumpkin seeds to a bowl and toss.
- Mix the dressing ingredients in a small bowl, stirring together with a whisk until smoothly mixed together.
- You can pour the dressing over the salad and toss, or serve the salad with dressing on the side.
Looking for something different? This is a versatile salad that can easily be modified for different flavours and textures. Pictured below, the same salad is made with the addition of shredded coconut. The dressing was made with coconut milk, balsamic vinegar, and a bit of maple syrup.
Coconut Dressing
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tsp maple syrup
Whisk ingredients together or blend in a blender for 5 seconds.
