Barbecue Vinaigrette Spinach Salad

“Salad is never more appetizing than when served in a large wooden bowl.”
- Dorothy Draper

I enjoy salads, but not any of the iceberg variety that has no taste.  I much prefer baby greens, spring mix, or baby spinach.  And as I think salad looks much nicer when served in a lovely bowl that everyone can fill their plate from, when I make them I like salads that make an impression - none of this open-a-bag-and-serve business.  I had a bag of baby spinach that was past its fresh date by a few days, a bag of carrots, a bag of celery, and a Granny Smith apple of unknown date-of-purchase.  I needed a side to go with Cranberry Barbecue Chicken Thighs, and I wanted to mimic the flavor of the main dish in the salad.  The chicken had celery, onions, and barbecue sauce, so that was my jumping off point.  This was taking a huge chance for me...I don't usually do salad.  However, a few years back I had made a couple of salads in the fall that paired Romaine and Spinach with Bosc Pears and Apples.  Apples and celery pair nicely, and as long as carrots are thinly sliced I like them raw.

Barbecue Vinaigrette Spinach Salad

1 bag baby spinach (approx. 3 cups)
2 medium carrots, peeled
2 stalks celery, tops trimmed
1 medium Granny Smith apple, cored, top and bottom leveled
1/4 large white onion, diced
2 tsp butter/margarine
1/3 cup Hickory flavor barbecue sauce
1/3 cup Balsamic vinegar

1. In a small pan, caramelize onions over medium-low heat in the butter.  They will look like they are burning, just keep stirring and they will brown and sweeten nicely.

2. Combine barbecue sauce and vinegar and set aside.

3. If you have a mandolin, use that on the 1/16-inch setting (1 on mine) to slice rounds from the apple and carrots. Use it on the 1/8-inch setting (2 on mine) to slice the celery. Please, please, please be careful if you choose not to use the guard. I have a nasty scar to show for what happens when you ignore the warnings of a sharp blade. In fact, last week was the first time I'd used mine since the incident last September 5. So, let my tale be a cautionary one. If you'd like to avoid stitches in your hand, use the guard whenever possible. I could not use it for the celery and carrots, but I stopped short of the large ends of each by about an inch to avoid losing any more blood.

4. Toss onions/celery/carrots/apple in the barbecue vinaigrette and refrigerate until ready to serve.

  

5. Just before serving, wash and dry the spinach. If you have a salad spinner this will be a lot easier. I picked one up at Walmart for less than $15, and I use it for absolutely everything: grapes, strawberries, cherry/grape tomatoes, lettuce, anything that I don't want to dry individual pieces of.

6. Place the spinach in a large bowl (you need tossing room), and top with the dressing.  Toss gently to combine and distribute the sauce evenly.