Spinach Salad Bowl

Vegan Spin on Spinach Salad with Warm Dressing

Spinach Salad Bowl: Filled with shaved fennel, perfectly cooked quinoa, and candied pecans. The warm orange-pecan dressing ties all the flavors together and delivers a delicious, filling salad.

When I made this recipe, I put it together with warm quinoa and the warm dressing, which slightly wilted the spinach, then we ate the salad warm, since it was a cold day. Yum! - Judith Kingsbury, Savvy Veg.

Sample recipe from Vegan Bowls ©Zsu Dever. With permission from Vegan Heritage Press.

Total prep & cook time: 30 min

Yield: 4 Servings

Nutrition Data, Per Serving: 473 calories, 265 Fat Cal, 43g carbs, 31g fat, 3g saturated fat, 432mg sodium, 9g fiber, 11g protein, 6g sugars low Cholesterol, good source Vit. A, C, K, Folate, Manganese. Estimated glycemic load 20

Ingredients:

Quinoa

• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed well
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1/4 tsp sea salt

Dressing

• 1 cup raw pecan pieces
• 5 Tbsp fresh orange juice divided

• 2 tsp pure maple syrup, divided
• 3 Tbsp grapeseed oil
• 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp white wine vinegar
• 1 Tbsp vegetable broth
• 8 cups coarsely chopped fresh spinach (2 bunches, tought stems removed)
• 1 cup shaved fennel (1 small bulb)

Directions:

Quinoa

1. Combine the quinoa, broth, garlic, and salt in a small saucepan
2. Cover, bring to boil over high heat, reduce to medium-low heat, and cook for 16 minutes
3. Remove from heat and set aside for 10 minutes
4. Fluff with a fork before serving

Dressing

1. Toast the nuts in a small skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until golden, about 4 minutes
2. Remove from heat and transfer half of the nuts to a small blender
3. Add 2 Tbsp juice and 1 tsp maple syrup to the nuts in the skillet. Cook until liquid evaporates, about 3 minutes.
4. Transfer the glazed nuts to parchment paper and set aside to cool
5. Add the remaining 3 Tbsp of juice, 1 tsp maple syrup, oil, vinegar, and broth to the blender. Blend until smooth.
6. Season with salt and black pepper
7. When ready to serve, warm the dressing in the small skillet and add about half of the warm dressing to a large bowl

Salad

1. Add the spinach and fennel to the bowl and toss
2. To serve, divide the salad and quinoa among wide bowls and serve with the remaining dressing
3. Alternately, toss the salad with the quinoa and serve with the remaining dressing

Quick Tips:

While you rinse the quinoa, heat the broth.

Juice the orange while the nuts toast. Prepare the juice near the stove to keep an eye on the nuts.

To shave fennel, cut off the top, cut in half, then slice into very thin slices, preferably using a mandoline.

Savvy Veg Recipe Tips:

I had all the ingredients for this salad except fennel, so I just left that out. I didn't think that subbing shredded cabbage or sliced celery would work, taste wise, but shredded jicama, kohlrabi or carrot would be acceptable substitutes, imho.

Fried or baked tofu are perfect additions to boost the protein in this recipe. Walnuts would work well in place of pecans.

I mixed warm quinoa, spinach salad, candied pecans and warm dressing all together in a bowl, so the spinach wilted a bit. Then we ate it warm for lunch, and later on, chilled for supper. Not saying you have to do that, but it's an option.

The Nutrition Data was calculated with 3 Tbsp oil and salted vegetable broth. To minimize fat intake, reduce the amount of oil to 1 Tbsp. To cut down on salt, use unsalted vegetable broth.

As with most of the bowl recipes in this book, this recipe kept well in the fridge and was delicious for the next meal.