Pomegranate, spinach, shaved parmigiano reggiano and homemade basil croutons make for a fresh, light and flavorful salad.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds baby spinach
- Seeds from one pomegranate, seeded and pith removed
- 4 ounces parmigiano reggiano, or good quality parmesan cheese, divided into 1 ounce and 3 ounce portions
- 2 good handfuls of basil (2 small packages worth), stems removed
- 2 t whole grain dijon mustard
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- ½ cup olive oil
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 french baguette, thinly sliced
Directions
- 1Heat your oven to 350 degrees. Finely chop basil in a food processor. Remove half the basil and place in a small bowl and set aside. Add mustard and vinegar to the remaining basil in the food processor and pulse to combine. Slowly add ½ cup olive oil to create an emulsion. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
- 2Add ⅓ cup of olive oil and a pinch of salt to the bowl of basil that you set aside. Place baguette slices in a baking pan and drizzle with basil and olive oil mixture. Grate one ounce of parmigiano reggiano and sprinkle over croutons. Toss to thoroughly coat. Bake 8 to 10 minutes to crisp. Remove from the oven and let cool.
- 3In a large bowl toss spinach with dressing. Mound spinach on individual serving plates. Sprinkle pomegranate seeds over spinach. Top with each salad with shaved parmigiano reggiano and 2-3 croutons.
