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This Spinach, Mango and Avocado Salad makes a delicious lunch or light dinner and comes together in under 30 minutes.
Did you ever have something wonderful come out of nothing? That's the story of this salad which has, in a very short, time become a favorite here at The Café. We were on the way home from church on Sunday and I was thinking about what to fix for lunch. We were both hungry and I knew it had to be something that would come together quickly.
We're trying to eat a little lighter and leaner these days, with swimsuit weather soon to be arriving. Hmmm, something lean, light and quick. I just couldn't think of anything that would fill the bill. By the time we arrived back home, I still hadn't come up with anything. Looking in the fridge, I spotted a large box of fresh spinach and that got me going. A perfectly ripe mango and an avocado called to me from the fruit bowl. That red onion would add a bit of zip!
It was starting to sound good, but I wanted the salad to be a bit more hearty (we were hungry!). A few slices of applewood bacon caught my eye in the fridge along with a roll of creamy goat cheese. And for the dressing? Perfect! I'd been testing and tweaking a recipe for a really good balsamic vinaigrette and had a jar of the best of my efforts, right there on the top shelf.
Bacon was sizzling on the stovetop while I set about peeling, chopping and dicing. I threw it all together, and within 20 minutes, we were happy as two little pigs in mud. We pretty much inhaled the wonderful salad topped with a scatter of Sweet & Spicy Honey-Sriracha Roasted Pecans w/ Fresh Rosemary. Two Buttermilk Honey 5-Minute Dinner Rolls had been pulled from the freezer and warmed. It was a super yummy lunch, even though it was "something out of nothing". I honestly, had no intention of sharing it with you, but...
"This is AMAZING!", my husband declared as he took the first bite. "The flavors are incredible". You HAVE to write this one down. "Now", he said. "Now?", I asked. "Yup, here's your computer, just jot down what you put in this, you know you probably won't remember it in a day or so since there are at least a zillion other recipes swirling around in your brain!". I often forget the ingredients, or how I put a certain dish together, as I get inspired with new culinary adventures. So I did - and here it is. Hope you like it as much as we did.
P.S. He also told me we HAD to get pictures and blog this one. So we had the same salad again for dinner, shot some photos and enjoyed it just as much the second time!
Oh, and I'm finding the dressing is fabulous drizzled on grilled meat, seafood or poultry, sandwiches, veggies, you name it! It's sweet, mild and yet bursting with flavor!
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Spinach, Mango & Avocado Salad
Ingredients
Ingredients for Salad
- 8 cups baby spinach
- 1 medium mango - peeled, cored and diced
- 1 medium ripe avocados - peeled, cored and cut in bite-size pieces
- ½ medium red onion, thinly sliced
- 8 strips applewood bacon, cut crosswise into ½-inch strips, cooked until crisp and drained well
- ½ cup toasted pecans*, even better use these amazing Honey-Siracha Roasted Pecans
- 3-4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled**
- Balsamic Champagne Vinaigrette, see recipe below
Ingredients for Dressing
- 1 tablespoon finely minced shallot
- 1 tablespoon whole grain dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar, I like Trader Joe's Orange Muscat Champagne Vinegar, it's delicious and not terribly expensive
- 2 tablespoons honey
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons finely minced fresh rosemary
- ⅔ cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
Instruction:
- Divide spinach among four plates. Equally distribute mango, avocado and red onion over spinach. Drizzle with vinaigrette and scatter with goat cheese and pecans.
Notes
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Divine! As usual one more amazing salad-- I can totally live on this too (smile)! Mango and Avocado are one of my favorites, will definitely make this soon. Liked and Shared!
This salad has all the flavors I love. Could eat this everyday. 🙂
Salad time!! Yea!
You make the BEST salads! What a divine dressing and I need to make this over the weekend. Enjoy the long holiday weekend.
Looks mouthwatering. I love salads of any kind, but put bacon in avocado in it and I'm all over it. Such a great combination with the mango too...
a zillion recipes going on in your head? hehe...you are a superwoman, masterchef! i wouldnt have thought of all these combination, i'm sure the flavours are fantastic!
Absolutely lovely, I LOVE that you put rosemary in the dressing- and I adore Applewood bacon (but doesn't everyone!)
Mary x
Sounds delicious! I love it when inspiration cranks out something completely new that turns out to be fabulous!
I really need to move over to salads as soon as possible.
You have so many great salad recipes. I wish I could exchange my sweet tooth for a, I don't know - salad tooth? That would be awesome and my body would love it! 🙂
That dressing sounds fabulous! I wish I had a TJ's, so I could get that vinegar!
Chris, what a wonderful list of delicious and healthy ingredients for this gorgeous salad!
OK, I don't know how to pin this. Do I pin the pecans, the dressing, the salad? Multiple times on different boards? All together in salads?? 🙂
This looks delicious!!!! No wonder it is a favorite.
Beautiful colorful and delicious salad Chris, don't you love the simple made from what's on hand inspired salads that turn out so delicious!! Glad you shared this one 😉
I saw this beautiful salad this morning...I pinned it, printed it and forgot to comment! It will be on our table tonight as I have everything, even a mango that must be eaten! Perfect timing!
Bacon, avocado, goat cheese, mango...what's not to love about this salad? 😀
Gorgeous salad, Chris - I would love to dig into a big bowl right now! ...And I don't say that too often about salads!
This looks so tasty, Chris. The Champagne vinaigrette sounds so tempting.
What a delicious and colorful salad!Love it!
Kisses,dear Chris!
The salad itself sounds delicious but, that dressing is calling my name! Here is another one I'm pinning. I think I pin you the most out of everyone I read 🙂
You worked magic once again! Tell Scott I said thanks!
This looks so good! I love having a good balsamic vinaigrette in my fridge for salads and marinades. Your husband is a good influence 😉
This is so beautiful. I had to laugh that Scott said you have to write this down. Family will say to me, "Make that one dish you made when we were here before." I can't remember what the heck I fed them. I am going to have to remember to write it down. Oh, and I love mango. Pinning this one.
Chis this really looks and sounds wonderful - sometimes husbands know best - ha ha! I hate being that hungry and having to wait and take pictures. You are a trooper! Love the dressing and can't wait to give it a try.
I just love light and simple salads like this! It's just beautiful!
A salad with fresh and great ingredients that makes everyone salivate...A must-have summer dish for sure!!!!
Another clever Chris salad. I wish I was so creative when it comes to the healthy stuff!
Hmmm mango and avocadoes are two of my all time favourite foods, but i have never thought of combining them together in a salad. This one i gotta try. Pronto! 🙂
I love EVERYTHING about this salad, especially the bacon (of course) and the mango. I'm all about combining sweet with savory.
I adore this type of salads, mixture of sweet, creamy, and sharp flavors. You did a great job with the combination 🙂
Loving this salad right now! I am on a "healthy food streak" right now, and this will fit right in to my regimen. Thanks for sharing, Chris!
Everything so healthy, I could never have made up something like this!!!! I love Trader Joe's...
I visited a Trader Joe's but once..I loved it and it was years ago..and I think that is the very champagne vinegar I had bought..we loved it..has it been around a long time?We got so many neat things there..would love to go again.:-)
You know just what I love on my salads, don't you? This looks just divine...I could make a meal out of it 🙂
I'm just easing myself into salad season, this looks great, especially those pecans!
Look delicious Chris!
what a beautiful and colorful salad! It really looks fantastc Chris!
Mouth-watering flavors in this salad, no wonder you both inhaled it! 🙂