Gluten-free berry and spinach salad with goat's cheese

Gluten-free berry and spinach salad with goat's cheese: fresh baby spinach, mixed berries, creamy soft goat's cheese, walnuts and a mild balsamic dressing.

At a glance

• Serves 2
• Prep time: 10 min
• No cooking needed
• Total time: 10 min
• Calories: 310 kcal per serving
• Protein: 12 g
• Fat: 22 g
• Carbs: 18 g

Ingredients

• 100g young baby spinach
• 150g mixed berries
• 60g mild soft goat's cheese
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp dark balsamic vinegar
• 30g walnuts
• 1 tsp mild honey
• 1 tsp wholegrain Dijon mustard
• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

You’ll need: frying pan · chopping board · knife

1. Toast the walnuts in a dry non-stick frying pan until fragrant. Leave them to cool briefly, then break them up roughly.
2. Carefully wash the berries and halve or quarter larger fruit such as strawberries, depending on size. Pick over the baby spinach and spread it out on plates or a platter.
3. Arrange the berries on the spinach and crumble the soft goat's cheese over the top in small pieces.
4. For the dressing, shake the olive oil, dark balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, coarse salt and black pepper vigorously in a jar until combined.
5. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and scatter over the toasted walnuts.
6. Serve straight away so the spinach stays fresh and the berries keep their shape.

Good to know

This salad is light and fresh but still well rounded in flavour. Sweetness, acidity and creaminess come together here in a really uncomplicated way.

Swaps

Soft goat's cheese → sheep's milk yoghurt or skyr (also provides protein) Honey → lemon juice or a little apple cider vinegar (fresher) Walnuts → pecans or macadamias (milder) Dark balsamic vinegar → freshly squeezed lemon juice (sharper flavour)

Allergens

Contains milk, walnuts (tree nuts) and mustard. Usually good for children if the nuts are chopped to suit their age – no honey for babies under one year old. In pregnancy, make sure the soft goat's cheese is pasteurised.

Frequently asked questions

Is soft goat's cheese an option if cow's milk cheese doesn't agree with you?

Some people find it milder, but that's individual. It still contains milk protein and usually lactose too, although the amount varies from product to product.

What nutrients are in baby spinach?

Baby spinach mainly provides folate, vitamin K and beta-carotene. There are also smaller amounts of magnesium, potassium and iron.

What do walnuts bring nutritionally?

Walnuts contain unsaturated fatty acids, including alpha-linolenic acid, as well as fibre and minerals such as copper and manganese. They also naturally contain plant polyphenols.

Do berries suit a sensitive digestion?

Many people get on fine with them, as they contain a lot of water and fibre. With a very sensitive stomach or fructose intolerance, it can vary depending on the type and amount.

Is the honey in this salad nutritionally relevant?

The small amount is mainly there for flavour. Honey mainly provides sugar and only small amounts of other substances, which hardly matter nutritionally in this portion.