Best Salads Contain FCN + Strawberry Vinaigrette Recipe

One of my favorite local spots for a salad here in Charlotte is Crisp. They are also the ones that blew my mind with the concept of their FCN Salad ... it contains a fruit, a cheese, and a nut. HELLURRR... lightbulb moment! I realized that in order to build a dang delicious salad, all I needed were ingredients from these three categories, some nice greens, a good dressing, and I was set.

Monday night we had a pretty tasty salad if I do say so myself, and the kicker was the strawberry vinaigrette dressing. Homemade ... and easy as sin.

I started off with baby spinach leaves and addeed blackberries, whole pecans, and slices of Parrano cheese. When working with a firmer cheese like this one, you can make these pretty cheese strips using a regular old vegetable peeler. I learned this trick from the cheese guy at Whole Foods. No fancy kitchen gadgets needed!

Did I lose you at "homemade strawberry vinaigrette"? Well ... give me a chance to explain. It's crazy easy. I just mixed mine right up in a baby food jar.

Strawberry Vinaigrette

Strawberry preserves (about 1 heaping tablespoon, or to taste)

Extra virgin olive oil

Red wine vinegar

Pinch of salt

Add preserves to a glass jar and microwave for about 15-20 seconds or until it's slighlty liquefied. Add in equal parts of the olive oil and red wine vinegar to taste. Finish with a pinch of salt and mix together well. 

The red wine vinegar gives the dressing the tang it needs to really pop. This dressing was so simple. You could even use low sugar or sugar-free strawberry preserves if you are watching your sugar or carbohydrate intake.

We had this salad alongside peppercorn pork tenderloin with sweet & spicy mustard and roasted carrots seasoned with cinnamon and cumin. 

Happy dinner planning ... and don't forget about the FCN when planning out your salads!