This Blueberry Spinach Salad is a vibrant and easy dish, combining juicy blueberries, fresh baby spinach, creamy avocado, and crunchy sliced almonds. Tossed in a tangy and naturally sweetened white balsamic dressing, it’s the perfect addition to your dinner menu. And yes, it really does take only 10 minutes to put together. Serve it as is for a side dish, or add some grilled dijon chicken breast to make it a whole meal; whichever option you chose, this quick and wholesome recipe is a must-try!
Quick side salads are great when you need to get dinner on the table fast, and this blueberry spinach salad is no exception.
It literally only takes 10 minutes to make, including a super easy homemade vinaigrette that my family loves. You can even pull it together in under 10 minutes if you want to use a premade dressing.
In addition to a great fresh taste, this salad has a lot of great texture too. And it pairs well with a ton of different dishes.
We like to eat it with grilled proteins like some simple grilled shrimp or marinated grilled chicken thighs, but it works with a variety of different foods.
So throw this together when you need a fast and easy side during your next crazy weeknight!
Grab these ingredients
(Note: the full ingredients list, including measurements, is provided in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.)
- Baby spinach: grab a pre-washed bag of baby spinach from the store, or you can even use a spring green mix.
- Blueberries: make sure your blueberries are rinsed and dried off before putting them in the salad!
- Almonds: I like sliced almonds in this recipe, but you can chop your own or use slivered almonds if you like. You can also switch up the type of nut if you don’t have almonds – hazelnuts, pecans, or walnuts would also work in this dish.
- Avocado: you want an avocado that is ripe but not too soft. You can gently press the avocado to see how ripe it is – you want there to be a little give but not squishy.
- Dressing: the recipe calls for this white balsamic vinaigrette (and includes basic dressing instructions in the recipe card), but you can use whatever sweet vinaigrette you like, homemade or storebought.
Do you tear spinach leaves for salad?
Since this salad uses baby spinach leaves, no, you don’t need to tear them for the salad. If you were to use fully grown spinach leaves you would want to tear or cut them for the salad as they are larger.
Should stems be removed from spinach?
It’s okay to leave the stems on for baby spinach, but if you’re using full-grown spinach leaves it’s best to remove the stems as they are tough to chew.
How to make spinach blueberry salad
(Note: please see the recipe card at the end of this post for the complete written instructions.)
Making this salad is quite easy – you just follow three main steps:
- Make the dressing;
- Assemble the produce, cutting it up where necessary; and
- Combine it all together.
Blueberry tips
- When you’re ready to use your blueberries, check them to make sure there isn’t mold growing already! If there’s only mold on a couple of blueberries you can just toss the ones that were touching the mold and use the remaining blueberries. Just be sure to wash them first!
- Regardless of if there’s mold, wash your blueberries before you eat them. Place them in a colander and run cool water over them. Dry them off before placing them in the salad so they don’t water the salad down.
- Don’t wash your blueberries until you’re ready to use them as any moisture that’s there will cause mold to grow.
Check out more information for washing and storing blueberries here.
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10-Minute Sweet Blueberry Spinach Salad
Equipment
- A small mason jar with a lid
Ingredients
- 6 oz blueberries washed and dried off
- 5 oz baby spinach
- ⅓ c sliced almonds little over 1 oz
- ½ a large avocado
- 1.5 oz dressing
- finishing salt if desired
Instructions
- Make the salad dressing first. Measure out each ingredient with the appropriate measuring spoon and place it into that jar.
- Secure the lid on the jar and shake it until the ingredients are thoroughly combined. Set aside while making the salad.
- To assemble the salad, start by placing the baby spinach in a large mixing bowl. Measure out both the blueberries and sliced almonds and add them into the bowl with the spinach.
- Next cut half of an avocado into small pieces. Use a large sharp knife and a cutting board to first cut it in half length-wise. Take the half without the pit and make cuts first one way and then another, creating small squares of avocado while it’s in its skin. Take a spoon and scoop out the avocado piecers and place them into the bowl with the other ingredients.
- Shake up the dressing then unscrew the lid and drizzle it over the salad. Use a large pair of kitchen tongs to gently stir the salad together until everything is evenly coated in the dressing. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Make sure to wash your blueberries and inspect them for mold. Mold will often appear on soft spots, or on the very top or bottom point of the blueberry.
- This salad is best prepared just ahead of when it’s being served and consumed immediately. If you want to prep it the night before or morning of, make the dressing and store it in the fridge then assemble the baby spinach with the blueberries and almonds in a large bowl. Cover it with a lid or some plastic wrap and store it in the fridge. When you’re ready to serve, remove the items from the fridge and add in the avocado, then pour the dressing and stir to combine and serve.
- Salad leftovers can be eaten the next day, though the spinach will start to wilt and the avocado will start to brown.
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