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Once you try this delicious Cranberry-Avocado Salad with Sweet White Balsamic Vinaigrette, you'll find yourself craving it again and again! It's bright, fresh and beyond versatile.
It's perfect for a quick lunch, a fancy brunch, a lovely side salad or a complete meal with chicken, shrimp or pork tenderloin piled on top. You can add goat cheese, blue cheese or any other fun cheese that strikes your fancy. It's wonderful with spinach, Romaine, field greens, Bibb lettuce, arugula ................ did I miss your favorite? Well, it's great with that too! Feel free to change out the nut also - don't have any almonds? Candied Spiced Pecans would be a fabulous switcheroo!
For holidays, you could add a sprinkle of crimson pomegranate seeds or how about a scatter of blood orange or ruby red grapefruit wedges? Slivers of mango are beautiful as well as grape halves or sliced crisp apples or pears. Are you starting to get the picture? It's another Little Black Dress Recipe; totally adaptable, simple or elegant, dress it up or down depending on the occasion. I keep a jar in the fridge so we can have a delicious salad on the spur of the moment with whatever's in season and/or whatever's stashed in my fruit/veggie bins!
The recipe below is for my Cranberry-Avocado Salad with Candied Spiced Almonds and Sweet White Balsamic Vinaigrette (the almonds from yesterday's post) but feel free to have use the dressing for other salads and to adapt the recipe according to your tastes, whims, cravings, pantry and budget!
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- Ingredients for the dressing:
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons poppy seeds
- 1 ½ tablespoons sesame seeds
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons dried mustard
- 1 tablespoon minced sweet onion
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup white balsamic vinegar
- ⅓ cup vegetable oii
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- Ingredients for the salad:
- 12 ounces baby spinach arugula, field greens
- 1 small bunch cilantro washed and dried, leaves removed whole from stems
- 2 medium avocados peeled and halved
- ¾ cup dried cranberries
- ¾ cup Candied Spiced Almonds
-
For the dressing, combine all ingredients in a pint sized glass jar and shake well to dissolve sugar.
-
For the salad, place greens and cilantro leaves in a large bowl. Add avocado and dried cranberries and about ¼ cup of the dressing and toss gently. Scatter candied almonds over salad and sprinkle lightly with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pass extra dressing at the table.
Anonymous says
Looks yummy! Can't wait to try this!!
Aimee @ Chickenville says
Ummm,that looks wonderful! I love everything in it. My only question is, does your salad ever taste better when someone else makes it? I definitely have that problem. Please FedEx one over;)
Thanks for your sweet comment about my little Sausage. He is a nut.
Vicki V @ blestnest.blogspot.com says
I make a very similar salad and sometimes use strawberries instead of the cranberries, esp.in the summer. It is my favorite, and as you said, very adaptable.
Ginny says
This looks wonderful, and you could make a whole meal out of it!! Avacados have lots of the fat that is good for your health! Can't wait to see the quiche!
GLENDA CHILDERS says
This looks so delicious and has so many things in it that I really enjoy. Thanks for sharing a great salad recipe.
Fondly,
Glenda
France@beyondthepeel says
What a stunning looking salad. You've outdone yourself on these photos! Gorgeous. The flavors and ingredients in this salad make this everyday friendly but also great for guest. It does have a lot of wow factor!
Christine knapkins_com says
Hey Chris, your Salad is a Recipe Guessing Game on Knapkins. Think your friends can win?
Mary says
What a lovely creation. It's an eye pleaser and it also sounds delicious. I'm a salad lover and I'll have to give this one a try. I hope you have a great day. Blessings...Mary
Pam says
Bookmarked. This salad looks and sounds fabulous!
Eri says
Now this is my kind of Salad!! I love your vinaigrette, I'm going to make it today! Oh and those quiches.. Delicious!
Kelly at The Meaning of Pie says
This salad looks amazing. This is the perfect all year salad...it looks like the ultimate holiday salad but would be a hit anytime of year. What a lovely combination.
MEEMAW says
I look forward to trying these last two as well as tomorrow's recipe. As always, the photography is just gorgeious, so shows off your creations. I also love the quotes you have been using and this one by Martin Luther is so very true--hallelujah, what a Saviour!
Veronica says
Oh, it sounds so yummy!
The Café Sucré Farine says
We're not that far - jump in your car and drive on over, I'll fix you lunch - how much fun we'd have together!
Gloria says
Look amazing, I love avocados:))
The Mom Chef says
You know, I'm not a big salad person, but when I crave one I REALLY crave one. That's happening right now. I am amazed at how beautiful that salad is and how much I want to grab a slice of avocado off the plate. The dressing is perfect (maybe just a little too much sugar for my palate). Wow, oh wow.
The Café Sucré Farine says
I haven't tried it as a marinade but now your giving more ideas...... I can already picture it as a marinade AND a drizzle for grilled chicken! Thanks Sandra!
Culinary Collage says
This salad looks beautiful.....I love all of the ingredients....great idea!
Sandra says
This is a meal in itself and I am already craving it. Have you ever tried the vinaigrette as a marinade?
Kim says
Really, this salad, it looks pretty, pretty good. And not kust for holidays!
Jay says
omy...looks divine...wonderful preparation..:)
Tasty Appetite
The Café Sucré Farine says
for you......... anything!
Caitlyn says
Can I please request this for next Saturday?!?! Looks so yummy!
But of course I'll gladly defer to the chef's choice....
🙂
C
Hovkonditorn says
I would like to have this salad right now. It looks so delicious!
Tanya - Three Square Meals says
Your dressing on this salad, especially the avocado, looks so delicious!