Happy 2018 everyone! I hope you all had a great holiday season. If you're like me (and probably everyone else) at this time of year, I have resolutions on the brain. I am always craving a healthy reset after an overly indulgent holiday season. This Spinach Salad with Pear & Pomegranate is sure to hit the spot and keep you successful for your healthy eating resolutions.
I talked a little bit about my New Years resolutions on Instagram the other day. This year for the new year, I have decided to do monthly goals or intentions instead of the typical new years resolutions. I feel like I always make this list of ambitious goals and hit it hard in the first few months. Then by March, I get overwhelmed and exhausted trying to keep up with everything. I've decided to pick 2-3 things each month that I want to work on. Then, at the end of each month, I will check back in with myself to see how it went. I can either roll those intentions on over to the next month, tweak them slightly or put them to bed because now they are habits.
For the month of January, I have picked three intentions to work on. My first intention is pretty simple, but very powerful. I will practice making more time for myself. Everyday, I will make the time to get ready in the morning and practice yoga. This might be as simple as doing my hair instead of throwing it in a pony tail and practicing a couple flows. It's a little difference, but it makes me feel better about myself and feeling better about myself helps me accomplish the rest of my day. My second intention, is to work on planning ahead so I can be successful. I like to make sure I have dinner planned for the week and some healthy breakfast and snack foods ready in the fridge. That way, when life gets crazy, I don't have to worry. Last but certainly not least, I will try not to stress when I don't accomplish the other two goals. I'm really good at planning, but I'm also really good at beating myself up when I don't follow through. I'm trying to practice grace and not let myself get bogged down with guilt when things aren't "perfect".
I felt like sharing this recipe would be a nice way to start off the new year. With mostly everyone vowing to eat healthy come January, I thought this would hit the spot. I always try to keep fresh greens in my fridge for an easy lunch, to add to a smoothie or to supplement dinner. Spinach is always a go to at my house, the kids actually love eating it! I love the addition of the sweet pears and tart pomegranate seeds. Finished off with the creamy gorgonzola cheese and slightly sweet nuts, you can't go wrong. You can definitely omit or change the cheese if you aren't a gorgonzola cheese fan. I highly recommend the vanilla cherry balsamic dressing to go along with this. It's the perfect accompaniment!
What are your New Years resolutions?
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Spinach Salad with Pear & Pomegranate
Fresh spinach salad, garnished with sweet pears, tart pomegranate seeds, creamy gorgonzola cheese and crispy pecans. The salad is then topped off with the perfectly tart and sweet vanilla cherry balsamic dressing.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course, Salad, Side Dish
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Candied Pecans
- 2 oz chopped pecans
- 2 Tablespoon granulated sugar
- ½ Tablespoon unsalted butter
Spinach Salad
- 8 oz baby spinach (washed and dried)
- 1 medium red anjou pear (cored and sliced)
- 2 oz gorgonzola cheese (crumbled)
- ¾ cup pomegranate seeds
- 1 recipe candied pecans
Vanilla Cherry Balsamic Vinaigrette
- 2 Tablespoon vanilla balsamic vinegar
- 4 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup cherry pomegranate juice
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Candied Pecans
- Combine chopped pecans, butter and sugar in a small pan over medium heat. Cook while stirring continuously until sugar is caramelized and pecans are slightly browned. This should take about 6-8 minutes. Watch carefully though, they will burn easily.
Spinach Salad
- In a salad bowl, layer ⅓ of the spinach, with a ⅓ of the sliced pear, gorgonzola cheese, pomegranate seeds and candied pecans. Repeat with remaining layers and serve with Cherry Balsamic Vinaigrette.
Cherry Balsamic Vinaigrette
- In a mason jar, combine vinegar, oil, juice, salt & pepper. Place lid on tightly and shake vigorously until well combined. You can also place all ingredients in a blender and blend for 1 minute until dressing is combined. Serve with spinach salad.
Notes
You can use regular balsamic vinegar instead of vanilla flavored and add in 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
Nutrition
- Calories: 273
Keywords: cherry, dressing, gluten free, pear, pomegranate, salad, spinach, vegetarian
Sylvie says
There is a similar salad I made a few times and that was a great success, with arugula & spinach, pears, parmesan cheese and walnuts. Delicious! Love the pomegranate, it looks really yum
Amanda says
Thank you Sylvia! Arugula is one of my favorites too, that sounds great!