Spinach Arugula Salad with Black Garlic Vinaigrette
This is a showstopper of a salad. It's elegant and satisfying, with roasted veggies, spiced pecans, juicy pears, hearty greens, and a delicious and tangy dressing that will make you want to lick your plate!
Ingredients
- 2 cups (266 g) sweet potato, any type, about 2 small or 1 large
- 2 cups (200 g) cauliflower florets, less than half a small head
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or olive oil spray
- Kosher salt to taste
- Freshly-ground black pepper to taste
- 2 (145 g) large carrots
- 1 (436 g) large pomegranate, yields about ½ cup (210 g) seeds
- 1 (270 g) large firm pear, such as bartlett, anjou, or bosc
- 3 cups (60 g) lightly packed arugula
- 3 cups (90 g) lightly packed baby spinach
- 1 cup (112 g) rosemary spiced pecans
- 1 cup (236 ml) black garlic vinaigrette
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).Line a large rimmed baking sheet with a sheet of parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Meanwhile, make the carrot ribbons:Trim the ends and peel the carrots with a y-shaped peeler. Either hold each carrot with one hand, or place it flat on a cutting board, whichever is most comfortable for you. Using the peeler, make long ribbons along the length of the carrots. Rotate the carrot with each peel to help yield a consistent ribbon width. Make the ribbons to the desired thickness by varying the pressure you place on the peeler. (I like to make my ribbons thin and flexible, but still giving a nice hint of crunch, so I apply very little pressure with the peeler.) When you reach the center of the carrot, you can either snack on it, or just slice it up and add it to the salad. After removing the trimmed ends and outside peels, this yields about 2 cups (145 g) of lightly-packed carrot ribbons.
- Prepare the sweet potato and cauliflower:Peel (or leave the skin on, whichever you prefer) and cut the sweet potato, and cut the cauliflower florets into pieces of about 1 inch (2.5 cm). Add both to the baking sheet. Toss or spray with the olive oil until evenly coated. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and spread into a single layer. Place the baking sheet into the oven. Roast for about 22-28 minutes, stirring once halfway through. The sweet potatoes and cauliflower should be browned on the edges and easily pierced with a fork. Remove from the oven and let cool as you finish preparing the salad.
- Remove the pomegranate arils:Make sure to wear a dark shirt that you won’t mind staining in case a seed sprays you while peeling. But using this method should help to prevent that from happening: Fill a medium mixing bowl halfway with water and set aside. Slice the top ¼ inch (0.6 cm) off of the pomegranate, just below the crown. Score the skin vertically from top to bottom down each of the 5 large ridges along the fruit. Hold the fruit under the water in the bowl. With your thumbs on opposite sides, carefully open the pomegranate Peel away the skin and beige membranes to expose the arils (seeds). Gently pull the seeds away from each section, submerging as needed to prevent the juice from spraying. Let the seeds drop into the water. Skim any membrane bits that float to the top, then drain. Place the seeds on a paper towel to dry off excess water. Yields about 1 ¼ cups (200 g) of pomegranate arils.
- Make the rosemary spiced pecans: Let cool.
- Make the pears:Meanwhile, core and slice the pears into about 1 inch (2.5 cm) pieces. After coring, yields about 2 cups (270 g) of pear pieces.
- Wash and dry the greens:If your arugula and spinach aren’t pre-washed, you can rinse and dry them in a salad spinner. If you won’t be using all of the salad at once, keep the extra dressing, prepared ingredients, and the salad greens separate and refrigerated until you use the rest. This way, your salad will be fresh when you’re ready to serve the leftovers.
- Assemble the salad:To a large salad bowl, add the arugula, spinach, roasted sweet potato and cauliflower, carrots, pomegranate arils, and pears. Top with the rosemary spiced pecans and black garlic vinaigrette. The salad yields about 15 cups (1080 g).
Notes
- When refrigerating any leftover dressing, the olive oil will solidify on top. Just microwave the dressing for a few seconds in the microwave, stir vigorously, and it’ll be ready to go again.
- I like to pass around a bowl or small pitcher with a dinner spoon, asking each guest to give the dressing a vigorous stir and then to drizzle it on their salad as they see fit. You're going to love this dressing, so it's always helpful to have extra on hand for leftovers and upcoming salads!
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!