Spinach Salad with Gorgonzola, Cranberries, Almonds and Honey Garlic Vinaigrette

This salad has literally been consumed every day for the past 4 weeks.  Exaggeration?  I wish…but not really.

I don’t even remember what prompted this, but one day I realized that I just don’t have enough gorgonzola cheese in my life.  Nate doesn’t like it so I don’t do a lot of dishes that utilize it, which means it’s basically reserved for going out to eat when I get my own plate of food.  Or when I just use it in something and don’t tell him.

 

Oh hey Nate.  That doesn’t happen…

(yes it does)

 

Anyway.  Salads are kind of a mainstay around here, a craving that has stuck around since I was pregnant, and this is my latest favorite.  Honestly, it may be my last as well!  The flavor is SO GOOD, and I can make a massive serving with a huge amount of spinach and feel like I’m eating my weight in food without actually doing so.

 

The dressing?  Garlicky sweet.  The gorgonzola adds a great pungent saltiness, the cranberries are sweet/tart, and the roasted almonds tie it all together.  There have been days where I’ve gone through an entire massive thing of spinach and didn’t even think twice about it.  Unless you count thinking about the next time I’d get to eat another salad.

SPINACH SALAD WITH GORGONZOLA, CRANBERRIES, ALMONDS AND HONEY GARLIC VINAIGRETTE

Makes one massive serving

For the salad:

• 3-4 cups fresh baby spinach, washed
• 1 Tbsp dried cranberries
• 1 Tbsp crumbled gorgonzola cheese
• 1 Tbsp sliced toasted almonds
• 2 Tbsp Honey Garlic Vinaigrette (recipe below)

Throw everything into a bowl and toss it together.  Fresh cherry tomatoes would probably be delightful in this as well!  Also, I really do measure out all of the tablespoons of ingredients every day…it’s easy to get heavy-handed with it all, but these have proven to be the perfect measurements for me!

 

For the Honey Garlic Vinaigrette:

• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced VERY finely or grated on a microplane
• 1-2 Tbsp honey (I usually use about 1.5)
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 1 pinch each salt and pepper

Pour all ingredients into a pint-size Mason jar with a lid and shake vigorously to combine.  You can certainly whisk it all together in a bowl and store however you see fit.  I haven’t had it last in our house more than a week because I eat it all, but I would say you can probably store in the fridge for 2 weeks.