How was your Thanksgiving? I was SO looking forward to a long weekend and it did not disappoint. Between Thanksgiving meals with family and friends, pulling out Christmas decorations (and getting a tree!) and spending a ton of time in the kitchen, it was just the type of weekend I needed. I hope yours was equally satisfying.
My time in the kitchen was a great mix of recipe testing (for YOU!) and following recipes. And now we have a whole fridge full of traditional Thanksgiving food, turkey pot pie soup, lentil & cauliflower soup AND everything to make this spinach salad.
This salad is a copycat of a salad from one of our favorite LA pizza spots! DeSanos is a great restaurant in Hollywood with delicious wood-fired pizzas AND it’s an appropriate place for young children to run around, so it’s one of the few places we can go these days.
And given our limited restaurant choices, I’m so glad I love their food! The pizzas have a thin, but perfectly chewy crust with amazing and minimal toppings. As much as I love pizza (a lot!) I always like to supplement pizza with salad. And this spinach salad is my favorite. After having it about 12 times, I realized I could easily make it at home. So I did!
It’s a perfect winter salad and in my mind, there is not a season that should go by without salads. #eatyourgreens
Spinach is a nutrient-dense green, higher in antioxidants than most lettuce and full of all sorts of good vitamins and minerals.
But equally as important as nutrition (in my opinion) is the flavor and there are so many great components in this tasty spinach salad: spinach (dressed with an easy balsamic vinaigrette); artichokes (quickly roasted); mushrooms (for earthy flavor and texture); parmesan (for salty flavor); and dried cranberries (for a hint of sweetness).
Nothing fancy, nothing complex but when combined together, it makes for an irresistible salad that can hold its own against pizza – and that’s saying a lot.
It’s our new standard salad for pizza night – at home and out. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
PrintSpinach Salad
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 20 mins
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 12 oz jar of marinated artichokes
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup oil (olive, grapeseed, etc.)
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 small shallot, minced
- salt & pepper
- 6 oz bag of spinach
- 4 oz (half carton) of crimini mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 1–2 oz parmesan cheese, shredded
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Drain artichokes (don’t rinse) and spread out on baking sheet.
- Bake for 10 minutes.
- While artichokes are baking, combine vinegar, oil, mustard and shallots in a small jar and shake until combined. Season with salt & pepper to taste.
- Toss half of dressing (you’ll have extra) with spinach and top with remaining ingredients. Add more dressing to taste if necessary.
Nutrition
- Calories: 266
- Sugar: 9 grams
- Fat: 20 grams
- Saturated Fat: 4 grams
- Trans Fat: 0 grams
- Carbohydrates: 18 grams
- Fiber: 4 grams
- Protein: 5 grams
- Cholesterol: 4 mg
sarah k @ the pajama chef
this sounds like a wonderful spinach salad! thanksgiving weekend was SO wonderful, wasn’t it? i can’t wait til christmastime!