Radicchio, Spinach, Apricot Salad with Goat Cheese

My husband and I are creatures of habit.  We have a salad with dinner (almost) every night.  It's usually spinach or mixed greens and tomatoes with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and sunflower seeds.  It's simple.  It's tasty.  It's routine.   

So when I had leftover goat cheese from the Tomato and Leek Frittata with Goat Cheese, I wanted to shake our routine up a bit.  Radicchio, Spinach, Apricot Salad with Goat Cheese became a welcome change from our usual salad.  The creamy goat cheese with the bitter radicchio with the sweet apricots is a combination that is simply a-ma-zing!  

 

Since I had mixed greens on hand, I decided to use that in place of the spinach.  This salad is equally delicious using just spinach.  I reduced the amount of the oil in the vinaigrette, which is nice and light and just pulls everything together.  Soaking the apricots is an excellent method to plump up the fruit into soft juicy bursts of sweetness.

Have a Happy Father's Day weekend!  

Radicchio, Spinach, Apricot Salad with Goat Cheese

Yields 4 servings

1/2 cup dried apricots

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon olive oil

coarse salt and pepper

1 head radicchio, halved, cored and roughly torn

5 ounces fresh spinach or mixed greens

2 ounces soft crumbled goat cheese 

1. Place apricots in a small bowl and cover with boiling water; let stand for about 5 minutes.  Drain and pat try with paper towels.  Cut into small pieces, if desired.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, oil, salt and pepper.
3. Add spinach and radicchio to bowl with vinaigrette and toss to combine.  Add apricots.  Serve topped with crumbled goat cheese.

Adapted from Everyday Food (November, 2007)