I’ve always loved cherries! As a child, I would spend summers with my grandfather enjoying, ripe, juicy, sweet, summer cherries right off the tree. He would hold me up to the branches and I would leave nothing but the fruitless pits still hanging on the stem. Colorado's cherries are some of the most delicious cherries I have ever tasted. Every summer, we look forward to cherry season, always craving the bright, sweet, tart flavor that comes only from this amazing fruit.
Our Colorado cherry salad is a favorite, a fresh mouthful of summer, made with Colorado cherries, goat cheese, and arugula. The dried cherries in the vinaigrette add another layer of chewy, cherry goodness.
Cherry Vinaigrette
Drain the cherries and roughly chop. Whisk together the vinegar (including the red wine vinegar from the cherries) and cherries while slowly drizzling in the olive oil, so it lightly emulsifies. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside until ready to use.
Salad
Layer all ingredients on top of the arugula, drizzle with the Cherry Vinaigrette, and lightly toss.
Ingredients
Cherry Vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup dried cherries (reconstituted in 1/4 cup red wine vinegar for 30 minutes)
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Salad
-
5 oz of baby arugula
-
10–12 pitted, halved Colorado cherries
-
4 oz of Colorado Haystack Goat Cheese, crumbled
-
1/4 C chopped candied pecans
Instructions
Cherry Vinaigrette
- Drain the cherries and roughly chop. Whisk together the vinegar (including the red wine vinegar from the cherries) and cherries while slowly drizzling in the olive oil, so it lightly emulsifies. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside until ready to use.
Salad
- Layer all ingredients on top of the arugula, drizzle with the Cherry Vinaigrette, and lightly toss.
Notes
Vinaigrette Adapted From | Guy Fieri
Nutrition
Serving Size: 4
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