Fresh Cherry Salad is the best way to make the most out of cherry season. Sweet cherries, peppery arugula, spicy candied pecans and either goat cheese or avocado are tossed in an easy to make fresh cherry vinaigrette. It's delicious!
Ingredients
Candied Pepper Pecans
1cuppecans
¼cupmaple syrup
1teaspoonblack pepper
1teaspoonbutter
Fresh Cherry Balsamic Vinaigrette
⅓cupfresh pitted cherries, packed
3tablespoonsavocado oil, or another neutral flavored oil
2ouncesgoat cheese, sub a diced avocado for paleo and vegan
Instructions
Toast the pecans in a small frying pan over medium-high heat. Once they begin to brown and smell fragrant, add the maple syrup and black pepper to the pan and stir until the pan is mostly dry. Remove the pan from the heat, add the butter and mix it through the pecans. (The butter prevents them from being too sticky.) Transfer the pecans to a piece of parchment paper in a single layer and let them cool.
1 cup pecans, ¼ cup maple syrup, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon butter
Place the fresh cherry vinaigrette ingredients into your blender and blend on high until smooth. Feel free to double or triple the recipe to have extra!
⅓ cup fresh pitted cherries, 3 tablespoons avocado oil, 1 ½ tablespoons white balsamic vinegar, A pinch of sea salt
Add the baby arugula, fresh cherries, goat cheese or avocado, and the candied pecans to a large salad bowl. Pour the vinaigrette over the top and toss to coat.