Simply the best, easy Spinach Salad Recipe with eggs, tomatoes, cucumbers, sesame seeds, and a healthy salad dressing. Quick, customizable and is the perfect side salad to any meal!
Along with strawberry spinach salad and spinach avocado salad, I promise this is one of the best salad recipes you will ever make!
I have the best spinach salad recipe for you! Fifteen years ago we used to live in Calgary and I was a brand new mom. One night, a friend invited us over for dinner. Part of dinner was this spinach salad.
She tossed it with the dressing in a garbage bag! Not environmentally friendly choice but every spinach leaf got coated in delicious spinach salad dressing.
Since then, this recipe for spinach salad has become my go-to salad recipe and I use tongs for tossing it because I feel bad to throw out plastic bag after a single use.
I am sure you will love it too! Spinach is full of good for your nutrients. With its mild taste, I have come to use it in everything from healthy spinach dip to a green smoothie!
The milder, young leaves can be eaten raw in a salad, while the older ones are usually cooked (spinach has one of the shortest cooking times of all vegetables). It reduces very dramatically during cooking; a 450g bag will be just enough for two people. Read our guide on the health benefits of spinach.
Can You Make It Ahead of Time?
Yes. Once tossed, it is best to enjoy spinach salad the same day. Fresh spinach wilts extremely fast.
To make spinach salad recipe ahead of time either for meal prep or busy holidays, refrigerate all salad ingredients in a bowl covered with plastic wrap separately from the dressing for up to 2 days.
I also recommend to store sesame seeds in an airtight container in a cool dry place because they will get soggy in the refrigerator. Dressing lasts for up to 2 weeks in the fridge.
Olive oil hardens when refrigerated. Just place the jar with the dressing in a bowl with hot water for 10 minutes or so. Always shake salad dressing before adding to salad.
Yes. Spinach like lettuce can be consumed raw.
It depends what your goals are. According to Harvard university, to get the most lutein from spinach is best to eat it chopped raw. It also provides more fiber than cooked spinach. However, with cooked spinach you will consume much more beta-carotene, iron and calcium. Only one problem, cooked spinach doesn’t taste good in a salad unless it is a wilted spinach salad.
First of all, do not add ingredients you don’t like. Any vegetables and nuts are welcome in this spinach salad recipe. As for dressing ingredients, some people are not fans of soy sauce or apple cider vinegar. In this case, use 1 teaspoon of salt or white wine vinegar instead.
How to Make Spinach Salad
The beauty of this spinach salad recipe is it’s a cinch to whip up with only a little prep work!
Now is a good time to toast sesame seeds. I love to quickly toast my sesame seeds in a small skillet on the stove. You can opt not to toast your seeds, but they do add another layer of flavor to this spinach salad.
Place ingredients in bowl: Fill large bowl with spinach, then add eggs, mushrooms, cucumbers and tomatoes. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds last.
Make spinach salad dressing: In a small jar with a tight fitting lid, combine olive oil, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard and soy sauce. Shake until well mixed or just whisk salad dressing in a small bowl.
Then drizzle dressing over spinach salad, use as much or as little as you like.
Toss spinach salad: Toss salad with spinach gently. I like to start with a small amount of dressing and then add more as needed while tossing.
Serve immediately: This spinach salad is best served fresh right after you toss the spinach with the dressing.
This spinach salad recipe is so flexible! Feel like sprucing it up? Here are a few ideas.
Spinach Benefits and Caution Explained By Dr. Berg
FAQ
Is it better to eat spinach raw or cooked?
Can you eat raw spinach by itself?
Can you digest raw spinach?
What is the healthiest way to eat spinach?
Can fresh spinach go in a salad?
Why, yes, fresh spinach can go in a salad, and it pairs well with anything that other leafy greens do! Baby spinach and mature spinach leaves are fantastic leafy greens to add to your salads, with baby spinach more tender and mature spinach more crunchy. You can eat fresh spinach without cooking it.
Is it safe to consume spinach daily?
The health benefits of spinach include skin care, improved eyesight, regulated blood pressure, stronger muscles, atherosclerosis, heart attacks, and neurological disorders. It also helps in bone mineralization and exerts anti-ulcerative and anti-cancerous benefits. Even though, spinach has many health benefits, it´s important to prefer the organic version because of the high level of pesticides, being one of the top list of the “Dirty Dozen” fruits and veggies that contain the highest levels of pesticides.
Can you eat raw spinach?
A one-cup portion of raw spinach has the following nutrients: Incorporating spinach into raw and cooked dishes can maximize its health benefits. Mix up how you consume spinach—some raw, some cooked—but avoid overcooking your leafy green vegetables. Some evidence suggests that not cooking the greens preserves their lutein content.
Can you make a spinach salad vegetarian?
In fact, it’s a spin on my Grandma’s 1970’s spinach salad…with a few tweaks! For the dressing we went with a classic balsamic vinaigrette, which complements the flavors perfectly. Instead of bacon, smoky glazed pecans create the illusion of meat but make the salad vegetarian. (For a fully plant based salad, we’ve got options too!)