Easy Spinach Salad

Spinach Salad recipes come in so many varieties, but this one truly stands out from the crowd. It is easy to make and is a great lunch option or a side to you next dinner.

Why Choose Spinach for your Salad?

Spinach may seem light, but it packs serious nutritional power. Spinach delivers a wide variety of vitamins and minerals for very few calories. It’s especially rich in vitamin K, folate, iron and magnesium, which everything from healthy blood and strong bones to steady energy energy production.

How to make Easy Spinach Salad

Ingredients

• 10 oz baby spinach
• 1 cup sliced mini cucumbers
• ⅔ cup crumbled goat cheese
• ½ cup sliced red onions
• ½ cup dried cranberries
• ½ cup raw walnuts
• 1 avocado, sliced
• fresh cracked pepper, for serving

Creamy Balsamic Dressing

• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
• ¼ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup full fat Greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon honey
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper

Directions:

1. Add walnuts to a small skillet over medium heat to toast. Let cook, toss frequently for 3-5 minutes until fragrant and starting to brown. Remove from pan and let cool.
2. Prepare dressing by whisking together all ingredients in a small bowl until fully combined and creamy. You can also blend everything together in a blender or with an immersion blender.
3. Prepare salad by adding spinach to a large bowl, top with cucumbers, goat cheese, onions, cranberries, toasted walnuts and sliced avocado. Top with fresh cracked pepper.
4. Drizzle dressing over salad, toss and serve.

A few options to add to your spinach salad:

• Mushrooms: Button mushrooms are classic, but cremini (baby portobellos) add a deeper, earthier flavor. Slice them thin so they absorb some of the dressing.
• Tomatoes: Ripe plum or roma tomatoes hold their shape well when cut into wedges. In summer, I sometimes substitute garden-fresh heirloom varieties for extra flavor.
• Shallot: Offers a milder, more elegant flavor than onion. Swap it out for the red onion, soak the slices in cold water for 10 minutes first to reduce their sharpness.
• Bacon: Your favorite variety works here. I prefer center-cut for its meatier texture and less fat, but thick-cut pepper bacon adds another dimension of flavor.
• Eggs: Large eggs are standard for hard-boiling. For the perfect hard-boiled egg, I start them in cold water, bring to a boil, then cover and remove from heat for 10 minutes.