Description
A fresh and vibrant Raspberry-Spinach Salad featuring creamy avocado, crunchy toasted walnuts, tangy feta, and a sweet-tart raspberry vinaigrette. This vegetarian and gluten-free salad is perfect for a light lunch or a colorful side dish, combining nutritious greens with bursts of fruity flavor and satisfying textures.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad
- 6 cups fresh baby spinach
- 1 cup fresh raspberries
- 1 ripe avocado, sliced
- 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted
- 1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
Dressing
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon raspberry vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- pinch of salt
- pinch of black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the salad ingredients: In a large salad bowl, combine the fresh baby spinach, fresh raspberries, sliced ripe avocado, toasted walnuts, thinly sliced red onion, and crumbled feta cheese, ensuring all ingredients are evenly distributed.
- Make the dressing: In a separate small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, raspberry vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, salt, and black pepper until the mixture is well emulsified and smooth.
- Dress the salad: Drizzle the prepared dressing over the salad just before serving. Toss gently to coat all the ingredients evenly without bruising the delicate raspberries and avocado slices.
- Serve immediately: Serve the salad right away to enjoy the freshest flavor and optimal texture, ensuring the spinach is crisp and the vinaigrette is vibrant.
Notes
- For added protein, top the salad with grilled chicken or chickpeas to make it more filling.
- Walnuts can be substituted with pecans if preferred, and feta cheese can be replaced with goat cheese for a different tangy flavor.
- The dressing can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days to save preparation time.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups
- Calories: 260
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 210mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 17g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 11g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 10mg