Spinach Salad with Candied Pecans, Pears and Brie

This is the number-one salad in my catering company. The sweet and savory combination of cinnamon-sugared pecans, ripe pears and small morsels of brie is sensational. There is very little oil in this, but you won’t miss it. You can easily make this a main meal salad by adding some grilled chicken or shrimp. Photo by Brian MacDonald.

1/3 cup pecan halves	2 Tbsp orange juice concentrate, thawed
3 Tbsp icing sugar	2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp cinnamon	1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/8 tsp allspice	1 tsp minced garlic
1/8 tsp nutmeg	1/2 tsp liquid honey
8 cups baby spinach leaves	1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 cup diced radicchio
1 large ripe pear, peeled, cored and diced
2 oz brie, diced

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a baking sheet with cooking oil.
Rinse the pecans with cold water. Drain, but do not let them dry. Combine the icing sugar, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg in a small bowl. Dip the pecans in the sugar mixture, coating them well. Spread on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 15 minutes in the center of the oven. Remove and cool. When they’re cool enough to handle, chop coarsely.
Combine the spinach, radicchio, pear and brie in a large serving bowl.
Whisk the juice concentrate, oil, vinegar, garlic, honey and mustard together in a small bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Garnish with the candied pecans.

Nutritional Analysis
per Serving

Calories	189
Protein	4.2 g
Fat	12 g
Saturated Fat	2.7 g
Carbohydrates	13 g
Cholesterol	9 mg
Sodium	105 mg
Fiber	2.6 g

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

Make Ahead:Prepare pecans 2 weeks in advance and store in an airtight container. Prepare salad and dressing early in the day and refrigerate. Toss together and garnish just before serving.

Serves 8

If you liked this recipe, you may also find these ones yummi:

Spinach Salad with Cinnamon Almonds Strawberries and Goat Cheese

Spinach Salad with Caramelized Pears

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Other Suggestions:

How to Prep are Candied Nuts for Salads, Entrees or Desserts

5 Comments

Sat 13 Feb 2010 19:52:29 EST

BlackJane says:

This is the best salad Ive ever had!!!Thanks Rose!
Mon 04 Jan 2010 15:26:22 EST

canadian says:

I made this for my family over the holidays and everyone loved it. I am trying to get us to eat healthier. Even my husband who usually scrunches his nose at salads had seconds! Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe. I look forward to trying more of your recipes.
Mon 20 Jul 2009 17:33:01 EDT

TheStaces says:

I made this salad over the weekend for a family BBQ and it went over quite well. Everything was tasty and even people who heard I was making it was asking for the recipe. Thanks so much!
Mon 01 Jun 2009 17:09:36 EDT

rose says:

One of my favourites as well. Very refreshing
Thu 28 May 2009 21:54:10 EDT

lesleycan says:

Love this salad. Different, and everyone asks for the recipe.

5 Comments

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