Harvest Salad with Cherry Vinaigrette

By Jac_M

Ingredients

• CHERRY VINAIGRETTE:
• 3 medium fresh beets (about 1 pound)
• 1 package (5 ounces) spring mix salad greens
• 2 medium apples, thinly sliced
• 1 medium carrot, shredded
• 1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup yellow grape tomatoes or pear tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup garbanzo beans or chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted
• 4 thick-sliced bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
• 1/2 cup tart cherry preserves
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 400°. Scrub beets and trim tops to 1 in. Wrap in foil; place on a baking sheet. Bake 50-60 minutes or until tender. Remove foil; cool completely. Peel beets and cut into 1/2-in. pieces.
In a large bowl, combine salad greens, apples, carrot, tomatoes, beans, walnuts, bacon and cooled beets. In a small bowl, whisk vinaigrette ingredients until blended. Serve with salad. Yield: 10 servings (1 cup each).