This is my go-to salad. Whenever I’m asked to bring a salad to a gathering, I make a berry spinach salad. Typically this is more of a summer or spring salad, but I needed some brightness in my life after all the snow and cold. And the grocery store had some beautiful, juicy berries on display that I couldn’t resist.
Berry spinach salad is a very versatile and pretty salad. For this particular salad, I went with fresh, baby spinach, blackberries, strawberries, feta cheese, and sliced almonds. In the past I’ve added raspberries and homemade bacon bits. You can also use blue cheese in place of feta and pecans or pistachios instead of almonds. I used a creamy berry yogurt dressing from Lighthouse but have also used poppyseed or blue cheese dressings. I also love this homemade berry vinaigrette dressing from Creme de la Crumb. Chopped avocado is also a nice addition as well. Basically, you can’t go wrong with this salad, and it’s a great way to increase your vegetable intake.
One of my ongoing goals is to eat more vegetables. In fact, I think this should be a goal for everyone. As a dietitian, most of the people I see are not eating enough vegetables. Surprisingly, I see quite a few people who don’t even eat any vegetables. The key to good health is eating a ridiculous amount of vegetables. And I’m talking about six to nine cups of veggies a day!!! Eat a variety of vegetables too; it’s good to mix things up, provide a spectrum of nutrients to your body. So many people have a case of undernutrition – meaning they’re eating plenty of calories but not consuming enough nutrients. And no, when I say veggies, this does not include starchy veggies like potatoes, corn, and peas. So add this berry spinach salad to your life because it’s a great way to include some leafy greens!
- 8-10 cups baby spinach
- 2-3 cups of fresh berries slice the strawberries if using (strawberries, blackberries, or raspberries)
- 6- 8 oz of feta cheese crumbled (or blue cheese crumbles)
- 1 cup of sliced almonds or pecans or pistachios
- Dressings of choice berry, poppyseed, blue cheese
- Optional add-ons no shown: bacon bits, avocado, red onion slices
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In a large salad bowl, arrange spinach, berries, feta cheese, and sliced almonds.
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You can layer ingredients if desired (half the spinach, berries, cheese, almonds - repeat).
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Toss prior to serving.
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Finally, top with dressing of choice.
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