Warm Spinach and White Bean Salad
from https://downshiftology.com/

During the fall and winter, salads aren’t always top of mind. That’s because salads are often served cold… and who wants to eat a cold salad when it’s cold outside? But as someone who craves salads year-round, I’m always conjuring up new warm salad ideas. This warm spinach salad with fennel, garlic, white beans, Gorgonzola cheese, and walnuts is perfect!

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 fennel bulb, thinly sliced (fronds reserved for garnish, optional)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (15-ounce) can white beans , drained and rinsed
5 ounces baby spinach
1 to 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/3 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
1/2 cup roughly chopped walnuts
red pepper flakes (optional)

Soften the fennel. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced fennel and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and slightly translucent. Add the garlic and stir for another 30 seconds.

Warm the white beans. Add the white beans and cook for another minute, gently stirring in the fennel-garlic oil.

Wilt the spinach. Add the spinach and stir for about a minute, until it's just coated in oil and barely starts to wilt down. Try not to over-wilt it, as it will continue to soften after it's removed from the heat.

Finish the salad. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the lemon juice, salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes (if using). Gently stir in the gorgonzola and walnuts.

Serve. Serve the salad warm and garnish with fennel fronds, if desired.

Because this is a warm salad with delicate greens, it’s best enjoyed right after cooking. But leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days. The spinach will soften further, but the flavors are still delicious!

Serves 4 as side salad. If you want to enjoy it for a full meal, it’s probably closer to 2 servings.