Spinach, Berry, Walnut & Feta Salad with Fire Cider Berry Vinaigrette

Baby spinach salad with halved strawberries, blackberries, chopped walnuts and crumbled feta in a wide white bowl on a dark striped cloth.

Photo: Pexels

Fire cider used: Berries, Florals & Honey

Our Berries, Florals & Honey fire cider is already built on apple cider vinegar, so it does the job vinegar does in a vinaigrette. It brings orange, ginger, hibiscus, elderberry, and a little cinnamon and clove along with it. Blend it with a handful of berries and you get a bright pink dressing that tastes tangy, fruity, and just a bit warm.

Pour it over baby spinach with more berries, toasted walnuts, and salty feta. It's an easy lunch, and it looks pretty enough to bring to a dinner party.

Serves 4 as a side, 2 as a main | Prep 15 min | Cook 6 min (toasting the walnuts)

Ingredients

For the fire cider berry vinaigrette (makes about 1 cup)

  • 1/2 cup fresh berries (raspberries, blackberries, or hulled strawberries; thawed frozen berries work too)
  • 1/4 cup Fire Cider: Berries, Florals & Honey, shaken well
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
  • A few grinds of black pepper

For the salad

  • 5 ounces baby spinach (about 6 loose cups)
  • 1 1/2 cups mixed fresh berries (sliced strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, or raspberries)
  • 1/2 cup walnut halves
  • 3 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about 3/4 cup)

Steps

  1. Toast the walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes, shaking the pan often, until they smell nutty and darken a shade. Slide them onto a plate right away so they don't keep cooking in the hot pan. Let them cool, then roughly chop.
  2. Shake the fire cider bottle well. Add the berries, fire cider, Dijon, salt, and pepper to a blender and blend until smooth.
  3. With the blender running on low, pour in the olive oil and blend about 20 seconds more, until the dressing looks creamy. If you used raspberries or blackberries and want it silky, pour it through a fine strainer to catch the seeds.
  4. Taste it on a spinach leaf. Add a pinch more salt if it tastes flat, a splash more fire cider for more tang, or a little more oil to soften it.
  5. Right before serving, toss the spinach with about 1/3 cup of the dressing. Add more only if the leaves look dry. Top with the berries, walnuts, and feta, and pass the rest of the dressing at the table.

Tips and storage

  • Make ahead: the vinaigrette keeps in a covered jar in the fridge for up to 3 days. Fresh berries in a dressing lose their bright color and flavor after that. Olive oil firms up when it's cold, so let the jar sit out for 10 minutes and shake it before using.
  • Dress the spinach right before you eat. It wilts if it sits in the dressing.
  • Keep your fire cider in the fridge after opening, and shake it every time you pour.

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