Salads are one of those things I crave, and during the springtime — I change up my recipes quite often to reflect the new array of vegetables. My Mediterranean Spinach Salad with Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette is a true delight and it’s packed with ingredients that will remind you of a wonderful warm place.
Leafy baby spinach tossed with kalamata olives, garbanzo beans and feta cheese create a delightful one bowl meal, but the roasted red pepper vinaigrette is the show stopper in this recipe. The vinaigrette is made in a food processor with jarred roasted red peppers, garlic, a dollop of grainy mustard, vinegar and olive oil. When pureed until smooth, the flavors pop with sweet tangy goodness that make this salad taste so special.
I like to serve it as a main course because it’s hardy enough to fill you up and it would be nice for either lunch or dinner. If you need some protein in the mix, a little shredded chicken or roasted shrimp would be a great addition.
Ingredients
5 cups baby spinach leaves
1 cup kalamata olive, drained
1 cup garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
2/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette
1 cup roasted red peppers, about 1 in total
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon whole grain mustard or Dijon
pinch of salt and pepper
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
(Serves 4)
To Prepare:
- In a big bowl, add spinach, olives, and garbanzo beans.
- In a food processor, add roasted red peppers, garlic, mustard, salt and pepper. Puree until chunky smooth, about 1 minute. While processor is running, add vinegar through feed tube, then add olive oil until completely smooth. Vinaigrette should be thin enough to drizzle (add more oil, if necessary).
- Spoon vinaigrette over salad, and toss. Sprinkle feta over salad and serve. Enjoy!
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