On our way home from the airport the other day we stopped at Mendocino Farms to grab a quick dinner and I had the best salad there. I always love their food, but this salad really blew me out of the water! So I just had to make a copycat vineyard salad recipe inspired by Mendocino Farms! I hope you love it as much as I do! It would be such a great dish to make and bring to a holiday potluck, or even to serve at Thanksgiving!
Fall Vineyard Salad Recipe
- 4 cups of mixed greens
- 1/2 cup of farro
- 1 small bunch of grapes sliced
- 12 dried figs sliced in half
- 1 small fennel bulb core removed and thinly sliced
- 2 oz herbed goat cheese crumbled
- 1/4 cup honey roasted almonds chopped
- 2 tsp honey for the almonds
- maple cider vinaigrette recipe below
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 2 TBL apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup + 2 TBL extra-virgin olive oil
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
-
Whisk together the maple syrup, mustard, and salt in a small bowl. Add the vinegar and whisk until smooth. In a slow and steady stream, add the olive oil. Season with black pepper to taste. Add more salt if needed.
-
Make farro according to the package. You'll end up with more than 1/2 cup so you save half for another day. Mix farro with 2 Tablespoons of the salad dressing.
-
Assemble salad: Add greens to a bowl with farro, grapes, figs, fennel, herbed goat cheese. Mix with dressing according to preference. Top with honey roasted almonds!
-
Preheat oven to 350.
-
Place 1/4 cup almonds in a bowl. Warm 2 teaspoons of honey just so it liquefies and pour it over the almonds.
-
Mix to coat almonds and spread onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with sea salt. Bake for about 10-15 minutes, tossing halfway. Let cool and then chop.
This would be a great idea for a salad to bring to work! Just put it in a mason jar and take some of the dressing with you!
This recipe seems fancy but it’s pretty easy to make. It’s definitely not your typical salad. The mix of quinoa, nuts, and cheese kept me really full, but felt healthy and light. I think this would be such a good one to prep for work! I would feel satisfied all afternoon after eating this! This to-go salad container has really good reviews on Amazon, so I thought I might try it out for our next trip to San Diego or Los Angeles to visit family. I feel like you have to pack salad dressing separate if you want any chance at a decent on the go salad!
I love this vineyard salad because it perfectly blends sweet (figs), savory (goat cheese), and salty (almonds). All of the different textures also make it feel more meal-like. Augustine loves goat cheese so I think he will love this salad too! He has very sophisticated tastes for a three-year old lol!
Here are a few more of my favorite salad recipes in case you’re interested!
Arugula salad with apples and roasted beets
Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad with Walnuts and Apples
Kale Salad with Quinoa Butternut Squash and Blue Cheese
Grilled zucchini and walnut salad with mint
Panzanella salad with roasted bell peppers and mozzarella
Caesar salad with homemade croutons
Do you have any copycat recipes or restaurant dupes that you love? They can be so fun to try to replicate!
xox
