Baby Arugula Salad with Balsamic-Maple Dressing

By Sweet July

A good salad is really about great ingredients and making sure the flavors work together.

Serves: 4

Time: 20 minutes

We think this flavor combination checks all the boxes, and features ingredients you can find year-round.

The only cooking you’ll do is toasting the pecans in butter, brown sugar and delicious warm spices. We recommend making a double batch because they also double as a tasty snack. Otherwise, the rest is assembly, layering peppery arugula, dried cherries and creamy goat cheese. The dressing is what marries this salad together, which has a little tang from the balsamic vinegar and a touch of sweetness from the maple syrup. It’s a great salad to serve alongside nearly any protein or pasta you're serving.

Ingredients

- SALAD
- 4 cups baby arugula
- 1 cup Spiced Pecans (recipe below)
- 1/2 cup dried cherries
- 1/2 cup goat cheese, crumbled
- Cracked black pepper, to taste
- Balsamic-Maple Dressing, to taste (recipe below)

- BALSAMIC-MAPLE DRESSING
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- SPICED PECANS
- 1 cup whole pecans
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

step 1

Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add pecans, sugar and spices. Toast for 3-5 minutes and transfer to a parchment paper-lined sheet pan to cool.

step 2

Add maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper to a small bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until well combined. Set aside.

step 3

Add arugula, black pepper and dried cherries in a large salad bowl. Toss gently with vinaigrette to your liking, top with goat cheese crumbles and spiced pecans. Serve immediately.