Spinach, pomegranate seeds and Bulgarian feta salad

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This very quick and easy salad is a perfect starter for a dinner party and for a casual weeknight dinner.

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serves: 4        difficulty: easy      prep time: 5-10 min

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Ingredients

• 1 packet of baby spinach leaves – pre-washed
• seeds of one pomegranate or one pack pre-picked pomegranate seeds
• 2-3 tbs pomegranate molasses
• 1 tbs balsamic vinegar
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 lbs Bulgarian feta cheese

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Preparation

The only prep you need to do for this dish is the dressing. Pomegranate molasses is an ingredient that you may not be familiar with but it is essentially thickened pomegranate juice. It is both sweet and sour, and adds an unexpected and wonderful taste to the dressings.  It is used extensively in Turkish cuisine and the one you find in the US is invariably imported from Turkey.  You can find it in good grocery stores (such as Bi-rite in San Francisco) or in grocery stores that specialize in Mediterranean produce. That’s where you can also find Bulgarian feta cheese which is also carried in Costco.  And since we are on sourcing ingredients, many good grocery stores (such as Whole Foods) now carry pomegranate seeds that are pre-picked and packed. That saves you the mess of having to pick the seeds from a pomegranate. If you have to pick the seeds yourself, I would suggest using rubber gloves because the juice will color your hands for a couple of days.

To mix dressings I always use left over glass jars from things like jams or pickles. But you can also use a bowl. To prepare the dressing, put the pomegranate molasses, balsamic vinegar and olive oil in an empty jar, close the lid, and shake vigorously. Alternatively, mix all ingredients well in a bowl.

In a large bowl that can hold all the spinach leaves toss the spinach leaves with the dressing. Split the dressed spinach leaves between 4 salad plates or bowls. Then put the pomegranate seeds on top of the spinach leaves, and top with crumbled feta.