Gluten-Free Low-Carb Low-Glycemic Meatless

Thanksgiving Spinach Salad with Dried Cranberries, Almonds, and Goat Cheese (Video)

Name: Thanksgiving Spinach Salad with Dried Cranberries, Almonds, and Goat Cheese
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 5 oz. baby spinach leaves; 2 T dried cranberries (see notes); 1/4 cup slivered almonds; 2-3 oz. goat cheese (the type that comes in a log; Costco brand is good); 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

posted by Kalyn Denny on November 16, 2015

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Thanksgiving Spinach Salad with Dried Cranberries, Almonds, and Goat Cheese is a delicious way to get some greens on the holiday table, and this makes a lovely salad for Christmas too! Use the Thanksgiving Recipes to find more recipes like this one.

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Watch the video to see if you’d like to make Thanksgiving Spinach Salad with Dried Cranberries, Almonds, and Goat Cheese!

I’m always on a quest for Carb-Conscious Thanksgiving Recipes at this time of year, but truthfully some of the Thanksgiving recipes I created in the very early days of the blog are still my favorites. Back in 2007 I spent a couple of hours looking through 20 years of November issues of my favorite food magazines and then marched into the kitchen and came up with this Thanksgiving Spinach Salad with Dried Cranberries, Almonds, and Goat Cheese without a recipe except the one I made up in my head. I’ve served this many times through the years, and it’s always been a hit!

Dried cranberries are traditional for Thanksgiving and I think the small amount used here really gives the salad a Thanksgiving feel. Still, dried fruits are higher in concentrated sugar than fresh fruit, so if you’re a low-carb eater or a South Beach dieter, be sure to use a small amount of dried cranberries compared to other ingredients. Of course if you’re making this on Thanksgiving Day this salad is still going to be a pretty healthy alternative compared to many Thanksgiving foods, even if you splurge on the dried cranberries, so enjoy!

(Thanksgiving Spinach Salad with Dried Cranberries, Almonds, and Goat Cheese was updated November 2019!)

How to Make Thanksgiving Spinach Salad with Dried 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.

I promise, this salad will be a big hit on the Thanksgiving table. If some people don’t like goat cheese, use Feta or Parmesan for a salad that will still be delicious.

More Thanksgiving 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
Thanksgiving Green Bean Salad with Blue Cheese, Dried Cranberries, and Pecans

Thanksgiving Spinach Salad with Dried Cranberries, Almonds, and Goat Cheese

Yield 4 servings

Prep Time 15 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Thanksgiving Spinach Salad with Dried Cranberries, Almonds, and Goat Cheese is a delicious way to get some greens on the holiday table!

Ingredients

5 oz. baby spinach leaves
2 T dried cranberries (see notes)
1/4 cup slivered almonds
2-3 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:

Serving Size:

1
Amount 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 want 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 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 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.

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