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Strawberry Salad with Spicy Pecans and Gorgonzola Cheese

4.80 Mitt(s) 5 Rating(s)5 votes, average: 4.80 out of 55 votes, average: 4.80 out of 55 votes, average: 4.80 out of 55 votes, average: 4.80 out of 55 votes, average: 4.80 out of 5

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Level: Easy

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Description

This has been one of my favorite salads lately. It is a spring lettuce mix with strawberries, spicy pecans, and shaved Gorgonzola cheese. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. It is one of those salads where the flavors come together so perfectly. It’s unique and delicious.

You can make this salad a light main course by topping it with grilled chicken.

Ingredients

  • FOR THE SALAD:
  • 1 bag (5 Oz. Bag) Spring Green Salad Mix
  • 1 whole Granny Apple, Diced, Tossed In Some Fresh Lime Juice To Prevent Browning
  • 3 stalks Chopped Green Onion
  • 1 pint Strawberries
  • Grilled Chicken (optional, See Below)
  • ½ cups Gorgonzola Cheese
  • _____
  • FOR THE VINAIGRETTE:
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • 1 teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
  • 8 Tablespoons Sugar
  • 8 Tablespoons White Vinegar
  • 1 cup Canola Oil
  • 8 Tablespoons Strawberry Jam
  • _____
  • FOR THE SPICY PECANS:
  • ¼ cups Sugar
  • 1 cup Warm Water
  • 1 cup Pecans
  • 2 Tablespoons Sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
  • ⅛ teaspoons Ground Cayenne
  • _____
  • FOR THE OPTIONAL GRILLED CHICKEN:
  • 3 whole Skinless Chicken Breasts, More Or Less As Desired
  • 1 cup Italian Dressing
  • 1 cup Lawry's Mesquite Lime Marinade
  • 1 cup Teriyaki Sauce (or Soy Sauce, Sugar, Fresh Chopped Ginger Root)
  • ½ cups Tequila (optional)
  • Lemon Pepper Seasoning, to taste

Preparation

Salad:

1. Layer on a platter a bed of spring greens salad mix.
2. Toss diced apples (I prefer granny smiths) or pear with fresh squeezed lime juice, and sprinkle around the center.
3. Add chopped green onions.
4. Place sliced and sweetened strawberries around periphery (pomegranate is a wonderful substitution in the winter.)
5. Optional: Now would be the time to place sliced grilled chicken in the center if using.
6. Add a layer of crumbled or shaved Gorgonzola (I like to shave it with a potato peeler).
7. Sprinkle spiced pecans over the top.
8. Drizzle with vinaigrette just before serving.

Strawberry Vinaigrette:
Whisk ingredients together until well mixed.

Sweet & Spicy Pecans:
Stir sugar and water together until sugar dissolves. Add pecans and soak 10 minutes. Drain.

Combine sugar, chili powder, and ground pepper, then coat drained pecans. Bake on a greased cookie sheet at 350F for 10 minutes.

Optional Grilled Chicken:
Marinate skinless chicken breasts for 2 hours in the dressing, Lawry’s marinade, teriyaki sauce, and tequila, if using. Sprinkle with lime-pepper (or lemon-pepper) seasoning on the grill, and grill as desired.

5 Comments

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fromcalculustocupcakes on 5.15.2010

This salad was wonderful. I made it for a family get together and everyone wanted the recipe. I only used half of the oil though. As I was adding it to the dressing, it just seemed like it was getting to be too much, so I stopped at about half. Everyone that has tasted commented on how good the dressing was, so I don’t think the extra was missed, and hey, less calories, right.

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AnnaPW on 4.27.2010

Took this to a potluck and it was gone by the end of the night. Used a regular vinaigrette dressing instead of the strawberry one.

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randifox on 7.30.2009

This was a really yummy salad! It made enough dressing to save for the week and drizzle over more greens. The nuts totally make the salad, so don’t skip those! All I had was crumbled gorgonzola, but once I run out I’m going to buy the wedge so I can put shavings of cheese on top as she suggests.

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gordian1 on 7.20.2009

We made the salad and we agree–it deserves 5 mitts!! Great blend of flavors!! We also tried the marinated grilled chicken and that added an interesting and pleasing twist.

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laced on 7.17.2009

I made this last night, my first recipe from Tasty Kitchen!
It was absolutely delicious and I will be making it again It also held up pretty well in a tupperware container, as I brought the leftovers for lunch.

A few little shortcuts I used –
I toasted the pecans in a fry pan, sprinkling them with chilli powder and a little sugar and stirring till toasty.
I dressed the salad with good olive oil and aged balsamic rather than the strawberry vinaigrette as I love the taste combination of strawberry and balsamic!

5 Reviews

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terrilw on 4.30.2018

We loved this. Lots of different flavors and textures. The dressing was awesome. With the chicken added it was a great dinner.

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ninavk on 5.29.2011

This was a hit! The dressing was yummy and the pecans were great. I’m gonna have to try it with gorgonzola next time. We only had feta in the house, so that’s what I used. :)

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annrjohnson on 7.1.2010

My husband was pleasantly surprised by this salad (he usually doesn’t like fruit in a salad). He thought the pecans and cheese provided a nice balance to the sweet.

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iburnrice on 6.29.2010

Made this for a family gathering last weekend and it was phenomenal! I was nervous after reading all of the directions, but it came together quickly. I too only used half of the oil the recipe called for and the dressing turned out perfect! I loved the taste of the spicy nuts paired with the strawberry jam in the dressing.

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fromcalculustocupcakes on 5.21.2010

I made this for a family gathering and everyone loved it! I only used half the oil, not really for the purpose of saving calories (though that is never a bad thing). It just seemed like it was getting to be too much when I was putting it in.

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