SPINACH AND FRUIT SALAD
This Spinach & Fruit Salad with honey mustard dressing is studded with berries and grapes, homemade brioche croutons & sprinkled with cheese.
Equipment
- Large baking tray + baking paper if you like
- Cheese grater
- Salad spoon + fork
Ingredients
- 200 g red grapes washed & halved
- 200 g blueberries washed
- 400 g strawberries tops trimmed and sliced
- 2-3 large handfuls baby spinach leaves
- 100 g walnut halves or pieces
- Grated cheddar cheese
FOR THE BRIOCHE CROUTONS
- Half a brioche loaf
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- A little salt
FOR THE HONEY MUSTARD DRESSING
- 4 tablespoons / ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 ½ tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard or French mustard
- 1 tablespoon honey
- Little salt & white pepper
For Baby & Toddler tweaks see Notes
Instructions
- MAKE THE CROUTONS Preheat the oven to 180ºc/160º fan/350ºf/gas 4. Slice your brioche loaf in half. Then dice into ½ inch cubes. Add the oil to a large baking sheet, and toss through the brioche cubes. Sprinkle with salt. Arrange in an even layer and bake for 9-10 minutes, until deep golden brown all over and crispy.
- TO MAKE YOUR DRESSING Compile the ingredients in a small bowl and stir well using a mini wire hand whisk.
- TO CHOP THE WALNUTS either add them to your mini food chopper and pulse gradually until in small pieces (being careful not to overdo), or add them to a resealable bag and smash with a meat mallet or rolling pin until in small pieces.
- TO ASSEMBLE Combine all the fruit, walnuts and spinach in a large bowl and add about half the dressing. Toss through and taste, add more dressing to your liking or add it to the table so everyone can add more to their taste if they like. Plate up the salad and sprinkle with the grated cheddar cheese and the croutons.
Notes
Double the dressing to make enough for other salads and store in airtight container for up to 10 days. Take it out of fridge at least 15 mins before serving.
FUSSY EATERS
Serve theirs undressed. Leave out the nuts (add to a bowl for the table). Deconstruct it, give them each element in separate piles. Be selective + add on, remove elements you know they really aren’t keen on and you can add in one or two things they’d prefer instead.BABY & TODDLER
Serve their salad undressed.6-8 months
Serve very large very soft strawberries whole with the top removed. Serve regular size ripe strawberries mashed. Blueberries need squashing down flat with the back of a teaspoon. Leave off the grapes at this age. Grated cheddar can be served as is. Very small chopped or crushed walnut pieces can be given. Cut a thin slice of brioche and slice it into finger size strips, or leave it whole. Coat in a little in the oil but don’t sprinkle over any salt.9-12+ months
Thinly slice the strawberries you prepare for this salad, they will then be fine to serve to little one. Squash down the blueberries a little with the back of a teaspoon. Quarter the grapes lengthways. Grated cheddar can be served as is. Very small chopped or crushed walnut pieces can be given. Cut a thin slice of brioche and slice it into finger size strips, or leave it whole. Coat in a little in the oil but don’t sprinkle over any salt.Toddlers
You can either serve soft large strawberries or chopped or quartered smaller strawberries. Can serve small blueberries whole, halve large ones. Continue to quarter the grapes lengthways until around 2 years old when you can start to halve the grapes instead (again lengthways). Even at that age though, very large grapes should still be quartered. Grated cheddar can be served as is. The small pieces of chopped walnuts you prepare for the salad will be fine for this age. Cut a thin slice of brioche and slice it into finger size strips, or leave it whole. Coat in a little in the oil but don’t sprinkle over any salt.Nutrition
Calories: 821kcalCarbohydrates: 56gProtein: 18gFat: 62gSaturated Fat: 16gPolyunsaturated Fat: 15gMonounsaturated Fat: 22gCholesterol: 111mgSodium: 458mgPotassium: 568mgFiber: 6gSugar: 23gVitamin A: 3103IUVitamin C: 73mgCalcium: 282mgIron: 3mg
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