During the holidays I attempt to include dishes which are both indulgent and healthy. I first savored this Wilted Spinach Salad at one of my favorite restaurants, Rebar, in downtown Victoria, British Columbia. And, I was delighted to find the recipe in the Rebar cookbook.

From an ayurvedic point of view, during fall and winter seasons, raw salads are not recommended as they are harder to digest during these cooler seasons. This wilted salad slightly warms the spinach with the deliciously warm balsamic dressing.

I found the following recipe here at this website. My only embellishment is adding pomegranate seeds for a pop for holiday color and burst of tangy juiciness! Enjoy!

Wilted Spinach Salad
with olives, feta, and garlic-balsamic vinaigrette

From Rebar

Ingredients:
Vinaigrette-
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 1/2 Tsp honey
1 1/2 Tsp Dijon Mustard
1/2 Tsp Sea Salt
1/4 Tsp cracked pepper
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (or grapeseed oil)

Salad-
1 lb spinach leaves, washed and stemmed
1/4 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
1 red pepper, seeded and julienned
1 red onion, finely julienned
1/4 cup chopped mint
1/4 pine nuts, TOASTED (yes it makes a difference! watch so you don’t burn them)
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

OPTIONAL: sprinkle with pomegranate seeds

Prepare and enjoy!
Thoroughly combine the first seven ingredients in a bowl. Slowly drizzle in oil, whisking all the while. Correct seasoning to taste. Prepare the remaining salad ingredients. Combine spinach, olives, peppers and onions in a large salad bowl. Just before serving, heat dressing over medium heat in a small pot. When it begins to simmer, remove from the heat and drizzle over the salad while tossing with a pair of tongs. Gently mix in the fresh mint and garnish with pine nuts and feta cheese. Serve immediately.