Spinach and Berry Salad is a beautiful fresh side dish that will probably take your family by surprise when you bring it to the table. Just one bite of this crisp salad with sour notes and natural sweetness, I bet they'll be sold. Add a berry salad dressing for the final ooooh's around the table!
This Blueberry Cream Tart and and this spinach and berry salad have been huge inspirations playing off against so many recipes throughout the season. A refreshed, healthy and colorful salad with a mixed berry dressing! I know that I've been changing seasons through my food recently, just look at this Mediterranean Salad I've been undeniably ready for a brand new 2021 season.
There is always the opportunity to fill a salad up with some sort of protein whether it be chicken, chickpeas or salmon but sometimes you just want a salad without anything filling, like right now.
This is the best part about seasonal produce is that it's not only affordable we are also getting it at it's prime in terms of juicy, fresh nutritional value. Not to mention saying thank you to local farmers and workers by supporting local business.
Spinach and Berry Salad
The season is rife for berries right now in South Africa, and that is a sign of great food! We get a chance to use the best of the crop before it passes us by and costs the earth for a small pack. I had quite a bunch of different berries and when the salad was complete I couldn't stop. It can become a snowball effect with me in the kitchen and I just keep going!
Anyway I was determined to not return the remaining berries to the fridge because I thought next you know, I will be making another cheesecake! Not that I don't love cheesecake but I seriously wanted to use the remaining fruit in a different way. In comes, ta-da....berry salad dressing!
Spinach and Berry Salad Ingredients
- Baby spinach
- Cucumber
- Grapes
- Fresh Mint
- Apple
- Avocado
- Herbs of your choice or you can buy microgreens
- Blueberries
- Raspberries
- Strawberries
A few points that willt help you when making this salad:
Fresh herbs: In this recipe, we used a few mint leaves. Not too many as they can be quite overpowering. Simply tear them into the salad, there's no need to chop.
Strawberries: Use the softer slightly bruised strawberries for the dressing and keep the more solid ones for the salad.
Baby Spinach: You can also use lettuce or other greens.
Avocado: It needs to be fresh bright green and not dark and spotty or it will spoil the salad. I would rather leave it out if you can't find the best avocados.
Apples: In this salad, we went with green apples but feel free to use red, they will also bring a beautiful pop of color with the strawberries!
How To Make A Berry Salad Dressing
- Work in a large blender or add the ingredients in 2 parts. Blend until a smooth puree and thin it out with a tablespoon of ice water if you want it thinner. Always stop, scrape, taste and adjust to your own preference.
How To Make Spinach and Berry Salad
This is super simple recipe, it's a matter of gethering all the ingredients, cleaning and/or rinsing. Here is the preparation;
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Prep the strawberries: Choose all the best berries for the salad and set the not so great ones aside for the dressing. No one ones want soggy berries in a salad!
Assemble the salad: Add all the ingredients into a salad bowl or platter. Spinach, apple, cucumber, grapes and avocado slices. Add the berries, toss everything together. Add your favorite fresh herb if you like.
Serve and enjoy: Serve with the berry salad and enjoy!
Cook's Tip: Try adding a pinch of salt to help balance the different flavors.
FAQ's Spinach And Berry Salad
Can I freeze any leftover spinach?
Yes! If you have too much spinach, you can freeze it in ice trays or a freezer friendly container. Dipping the spinach in a bowl of boiling water for a minute then immediately into ice water, helps stop the cooking process. Squeeze the water out of it and lay them on kitchen tissue paper to draw excess water out. Pack the spinach into ice trays or souper cubes.
Can I use a food processor to make a berry salad dressing?
Although you can use both the blender and food processor, the results will be different. You get a much smoother finish using the blender if that's what you want. In this recipe the food processor was used hence the not so smooth finish however, we've used both, it depends on how important the extra smooth finish is to you. I find the food processor more useful for foods like pesto, hummus , pizza dough, breadcrumbs and more.
Is berry salad dressing healthy?
Yes. This berry salad dressing is very healthy since it's made with a variety of berries. The honey or maple syrup added is very little as the fruit has natural sweetness. Extra virgin olive is also extremely healthy with a number of health benefits. We use this one.
How long will this spinach and berry salad stay fresh?
For 2 to 3 days in the fridge. Just make sure to store the salad before adding the dressing.
Topping Variations To Add To This Salad
Although this salad is perfect served on it's own, here are a few variations that will help for preferred tastes.
- Honey or maple syrup
- Toasted raw nuts (pine nuts, almonds, cashews, pecans, walnuts)
- Other veg like red or green onion, kale instead of spinach or both.
- Cheese, try your favorites from blue cheese, to fresh mozzarella, burrata, goats cheese etc.
More Healthy Salad Recipes
- Carpaccio Plum Salad With A Peppadew Dressing
- Quinoa Salad With A Simple Lemon Dressing
- Grilled Chicken Salad With A Turmeric Salad Dressing
- Mediterranean Salad
- Chickpea Salad
- Super Simple Blackberry Salad With Burrata Cheese
- Tuna and Couscous Salad - No Mayo
I hope that you have enjoyed my Spinach and Berry Salad Recipe! Remember that the kitchen is all about creativity, full on color, freshness and never compromising on flavor! Even in a salad ๐
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Spinach and Berry Salad
Ingredients
- 3 cups spinach packed cups more or less
- 1 cucumber thinly sliced
- 1 apple cork and seeds discarded, thinly sliced
- ยฝ cup grapes halved
- 1 avocado sliced
- ยฝ cup blueberries
- 1 cup strawberries cleaned and halved
- ยฝ cup raspberries
- 1 tablespoon fresh mixed herbs of your choice or microgreens
Salad Dressing
- ยผ cup raspberries
- ยฝ ๏ปฟcup blueberries
- ยฝ ๏ปฟcup strawberries cleaned and halved
- โ cup olive oil
- 4 tbsps. fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Pomegranate paste optional!
- 1 teaspoon honey
- pinch of salt and pepper
Instructions
Spinach and Berry Salad
- Start by adding the greens into a large salad bowl or platter - spinach, apple, grapes and avocado slices. Add the berries, a sprinkle of dried herbs if using.Season with salt and pepper and serve with salad dressing.
Salad Dressing
- Work in a large blender or add the ingredients in 2 parts. Blend until a smooth puree and thin it out with a tablespoon of ice water if you want it thinner. Always stop, scrape, taste and adjust to your own preference.
Ella says
I never would have thought to create such a dressing but it looks delicious!! Canโt wait to give it a try ????