Winter Salad

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Winter citrus, candied pecans, crumbled bacon and cheese are drizzled in a maple ginger dressing to make the perfect holiday salad recipe.

I saw blood oranges at the grocery store the other day and I got so excited! I love when citrus fruits come into season because they go well in all sorts of recipes. So when I saw the blood oranges, I thought, sweet or savory? And then, I decided on both.

Who can't resist zesty oranges interlaced with creamy goat cheese and bacon? I like to drizzle maple syrup throughout this salad for a little sweet, and mix the citrus and ginger together to add a little pizzazz.

This salad would be perfect holiday salad recipe for the dinner table alongside a roasted turkey. It would also be good with a homemade rotisserie chicken or roasted pumpkin soup. We enjoyed it with curried butternut squash chili.

If you are planning to make this salad ahead of time, I would recommend assembling the salad and making the dressing but wait until close to mealtime before tossing everything together. For freshness, I wouldn't prep the salad any earlier than the day before you plan to have it.

Ingredients

Candied Pecans

1 cup pecans (can be whole or pieces)

¼ cup maple syrup

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Dressing

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

¼ cup olive oil

2 tbsp maple syrup

1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon

1 ½ tsp ground ginger

Salad

6 cups baby spinach

2 medium oranges peeled and cut into wedges

3 small blood oranges peeled and cut into wedges (can substitute for additional naval oranges)

½ cup dried cranberries

4 pieces bacon cooked and broken into crumbles

1 cup goat cheese crumbled

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spread out the pecans. Drizzle them with maple syrup and ground cinnamon.

Bake the pecans for 15-20 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the dressing. In a mason jar, add the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, maple syrup, cinnamon, and ginger. Set it aside.

Remove the pecans from the oven and let them cool.

In a salad bowl, add the baby spinach, orange wedges, blood orange wedges, dried cranberries, bacon pieces, and goat cheese crumbles.

Shake or stir the dressing and add it to the salad bowl. Toss the salad together until thoroughly mixed.

Serve alongside your favorite winter soup, chili, roast, or holiday meal.

If you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a star rating and a comment below. Share what you made and tag me on Instagram @keepingitholistic! For more scratch-made recipes and natural living tips, subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on YouTube and Instagram!

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