Spinach Salad with Cranberries, Almonds, and Goat Cheese
Spinach Salad with Cranberries, Almonds, and Goat Cheese is perfect for the holiday table or a lovely salad for any special meal!
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Years ago I spent a couple of hours looking through food magazines (remember those?) and then marched into the kitchen and came up with this Spinach Salad with Cranberries, Almonds, and Goat Cheese without a recipe except the one I made up in my head. I’ve served this many times for special dinners through the years, and it’s always been a hit so today I am recommending it as a Friday Favorites pick for your Thanksgiving menu!
I hope you’re making some special dishes even if it’s a small gathering this year for most people! This beautiful salad has Dried cranberries and I think that really gives the salad a Thanksgiving feel if you want to serve it for that big food holiday. You can skip the dried cranberries if you want an even lower-carb salad that will still be a wow with the almonds and goat cheese, but if you check the nutritional information you’ll see the the small amount of cranberries doesn’t add that many carbs per serving.
How to Make Spinach Salad with Cranberries, Almonds, and Goat Cheese:
(Scroll down for complete printable recipe:)
- Whisk together the white balsamic vinegar, sweetener of your choice, olive oil, and salt to make the dressing.
- Measure out the salad toppings.(Thanks to Ree for the cute measuring cups that came in the mail!)
- Toss the spinach with the dressing (you might not need it all) and top each salad with the almonds, goat cheese, and dried cranberries.
- That’s all there is to this delicious salad.
- This salad will be a big hit on the Thanksgiving table or any special meal. If some people don’t like goat cheese, use Feta or Parmesan for a salad that will still be delicious.
More Ideas with Cranberries:
Brussels Sprouts Salad with Bacon, Dried Cranberries, Almonds, and Parmesan
Trina’s Low-Sugar Fresh Cranberry Salsa with Cilantro, Lime, and Jalapeno
Green Bean Salad with Blue Cheese, Cranberries, and Pecans
Spinach Salad with Cranberries, Almonds, and Goat Cheese
Spinach Salad with Cranberries, Almonds, and Goat Cheese is a delicious way to get some greens on the holiday table or serve this any time of year for a special meal!
Ingredients
- 5 oz. baby spinach leaves
- 2 T dried cranberries (see notes)
- 1/4 cup slivered almonds
- 3 oz. goat cheese (the type that comes in a log; Costco brand is good)
Dressing Ingredients:
- 1 T white balsamic vinegar (could use regular balsamic)
- 1/2 tsp. sweetener of your choice (see notes)
- 2 T olive oil
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Wash spinach if needed and spin dry, then place in large bowl.
- Whisk together balsamic vinegar, sweetener and salt, then whisk in olive oil.
- Toss spinach leaves with dressing (you may not need all the dressing if you prefer your salads on the dry side).
- Arrange spinach on individual serving plates and sprinkle each salad with dried cranberries, sliced almonds, and goat cheese. Serve right away.
Notes
I would use Golden Monkfruit Sweetener (affiliate link) for this salad. Use more dried cranberries if you aren't being that careful about carbs!
Recipe created by Kalyn with inspiration from holiday food magazines.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 235Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 7gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 254mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 2gSugar: 5gProtein: 10g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Dried cranberries are relatively high in sugar, so keep that in mind if you decide to use more than the small amount specified in this recipe. With the limited amount of cranberries and the use of Golden Monkfruit Sweetener (affiliate link), this Thanksgiving Spinach Salad with Dried Cranberries, Almonds, and Goat Cheese is not that high in carbs as a splurge for a holiday meal. If you don’t want to splurge or you’d prefer to use your carbs on other holiday foods (!) the salad will still be delicious (and very low in carbs) without the cranberries.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use the Thanksgiving Recipes or Salads to find more recipes like this one. Use the Recipes by Diet Type photo index pages to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You can also Follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
Historical Notes for This Recipe:
Spinach Salad with Cranberries, Almonds, and Goat Cheese was first posted in 2007, yikes! The recipe was last updated in September 2020.
28 Comments on “Spinach Salad with Cranberries, Almonds, and Goat Cheese”
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I love the goat cheese – it adds a creaminess and slightly tart flavor to balance the sweetness of the cranberries. Lovely salad!
Thank you! I think every salad needs goat cheese.
Love this recipe Kalyn–so glad you reposted it!
Thanks Letty; it's always such a hit!
This is just like one that I make often, I just never had a recipe. Would like your permission to share this on my site (giving you credit, of course).
Dawn, I give permission to share the photo if accompanied by a link to get the recipe from my site (and as long as the recipe itself is not reprinted with the photo.) Thanks; glad you like it.