Spinach and Blue Cheese Salad with Scallops
Get ready to tantalize your taste buds with this refreshing Spinach and Blue Cheese Salad with Scallops! The ultimate entree salad, the scallops are succulent and sweet which is perfect with the crisp spinach and tangy blue cheese.
There is some meaning in the phrase “less is more.”
I have this tendency to over pack my salads. They are DEFINITELY dinner salads. You’re not going to go hungry after eating these hefty, leafy, meals. Seriously. Not that they’re packed with crap. Tomatoes, carrots, green peppers, onions, spinach, and some cheese, dried cherries and sunflower seeds. Those last few I didn’t over pack. They were controlled substances in my salad.
If I don’t measure those precisely, I will eat my weight in them. Dried cherries? YUMMY! Sunflower seeds? CRACK! Cheese? Oh.My.Word. Yes, they’re good for me to a degree, but in large quantities, not so much. Just saying.
Skimming through my Bloglovin roll and I’m seeing ALL the red velvet items for V-Day. Really? Red Velvet? Cliché much? No offense. Some of them are AMAZING bloggers. I’m just trying DESPERATELY NOT to fall into that trap. There are other red items besides red velvet to make for V-Day.
Chocolate? Totally following that cliché.
Especially since the Spiked! Recipe Challenge is chocolate liquor. I was brainstorming on the way home today. No. I am the passenger, so I can do that. I have some good ideas. Hopefully, they’re good enough.
I actually have a few chocolate liquors from the sample sizes I get them I’m at the liquor store. Chocolate coconut vodka, chocolate cherry cream and chocolate chili cream liquors. Those last two? DELICIOUS!! I can’t wait to spend some quality time in the kitchen hooring about for this challenge. You really should join us!! It’s fun!! And some seriously tough competition.
This Spinach and Blue Cheese Salad with Scallops so good! S even said it was delicious and we could have it again. He LOVED the dressing, the flavors, the whole meal. I couldn’t believe he didn’t lick the plate. *snort* I was going for a pomegranate Italian dressing. And I couldn’t believe it worked!!
I usually don’t do the whole sweet and savory, but the exception is for salads. For some reason, the pairing of craisins, figs or dried cherries are just fine on a salad with some red onion, goat cheese or blue cheese, and nut of some description. But throw in a chicken or pork? No go. Don’t like it. I’m weird that way.
The scallops got a little too dark for my taste, but they were tasty none the less. I am LOVING these scallop meals. I LOVE sea scallops. Not so much the bay scallops. They’re chewy if you over cook them and you’re almost ALWAYS guaranteed to over cook them. They’re so small… THESE are not. Nine usually make a pound, and that’s plenty for S and I with some salad for Salad Tuesday. I don’t know why Tuesday. But salad meals are Tuesday. Meatless meals are Monday. Salad = Tuesday. Slow Cooker = Thursday. Order in = Friday. Wednesday and Saturday’s are a free for all. LOL
Now that you know my menu method, I’m going to watch the Caps play hockey. We have tickets for Saturday night’s game with the Devils, I think? I can’t wait! I LOVE hockey!! And, I love this salad!
Spinach and Blue Cheese Salad with Scallops
Impress your dinner guests with this gourmet Spinach and Blue Cheese Salad topped with perfectly seared Scallops. The combination of textures and flavors will leave them wanting more!
Ingredients
- 6 cups baby spinach, rinsed and dried
- 2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
- 2 cups carrots, shredded
- 1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 cup green bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 6 ounces blue cheese
- 1 cup dried cherries
- 1/2 cup roasted sunflower seeds
- 1/2 cup pomegranate juice
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/8 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- salt and pepper to taste
- a dash of dried thyme
- 1/8 teaspoon basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
- Dash celery seed
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 pound sea scallops
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Combine first 8 ingredients (spinach through sunflower seeds) in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
- Combine next 13 ingredients in a small bowl and combine well with a whisk. This works better in a salad dressing bottle or mason jar, if you have one handy.
- Heat a medium skillet over coated with cooking spray medium-high heat.\
- Add 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil. Cook scallops 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until they are opaque and firm.
- Divide the salad mixture onto each of 4 plates. Top with 2 to 3 scallops per salad and serve with some crusty French bread or a baguette.
Nutrition Information
Yield
4Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 718Total Fat 35gSaturated Fat 11gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 22gCholesterol 78mgSodium 3435mgCarbohydrates 65gFiber 9gSugar 39gProtein 42g
Hi! I found you from VA Bloggers and stopped by to check out your blog. This salad reminds me of one I used to get at Maccaroni Grill. I have never cooked scallops myself, but I love to get them at restaurants.