A Heavenly Combination: Strawberries & Champagne Spinach Salad

I was finally able to find some champagne vinegar when I was looking for it (Walmart of all places), so I decided to make a champagne vinaigrette dressing. What goes well with champagne? Strawberries. And what goes well with strawberries? Goat cheese. And what goes well with goat cheese? Toasted walnuts. And spinach goes well with anything. So there’s the story of how I created this salad. What a heavenly combination.

I recently discovered that I can eat a small amount of strawberries. Blueberries too. Which is great since it’s berry season. I add a little bit of powdered dextrose to the vinaigrette to help digest any extra fructose in the berries. This is a great trick for those with fructose malabsorption. The glucose (dextrose) binds with any extra fructose and helps it get absorbed in the intestines. Keep in mind that this does not work with fructans and it only works in small amounts with fructose. This salad is the perfect and delicious example of using this trick.

Strawberries & Champagne Spinach Salad
Low-FODMAP, Low-Fructose
serves 4

Ingredients

Salad
4 cups fresh baby spinach
1 cup hulled, quartered strawberries (or as tolerated)
1/4 cup chopped, toasted walnuts
2 oz. crumbled goat cheese

Vinaigrette
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons powdered dextrose (or 1 tablespoon granulated sugar)
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
pinch salt
pinch ground black pepper

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine the spinach, strawberries, walnuts and goat cheese. 
2. In small container with a tight-fitting lid, combine the olive oil, vinegar, dextrose or sugar, lemon juice, Dijon, salt and pepper. Shake vigorously.
3. Gently toss the dressing with the vinaigrette and serve. Or pass the vinaigrette at the table.