Spinach Avocado Salad with arugula, toasted almonds, and rich parmesan cheese tossed in a healthy dressing. It’s everything you want in a fresh salad!
Crisp spinach is the perfect base for any healthy salad including classic spinach salad recipe, spinach salad with strawberries and even spring mix salad.
Table of Contents
This spinach avocado salad is inspired by my recent visit to Beatrix restaurant in Chicago. It was called an “A Salad” made with arugula, asiago, almonds and avocado. I added spinach and made my own spinach salad dressing.
It’s a simple salad recipe that is healthy, flavorful, and vibrant like my arugula feta salad. The perfect side dish for any weeknight or celebration. I promise everyone will be excited to try this avocado spinach salad!
And if you’re an avocado lover like me, you’ll also enjoy my avocado salad recipe and chickpea avocado salad.
Ingredients and Notes
Spinach avocado salad recipe is made with a delicious mix of healthy fresh ingredients.
- Baby spinach: Is more tender and flavorful with bite-size leaves. If you have mature spinach, trim off the stems and tear the leaves into smaller pieces, then wash well to remove any grit.
- Baby arugula: The leaves are more mild in flavor than full-grown arugula and pair well with the earthy spinach for a nutritious spring mix.
- Salad dressing: Homemade vinaigrette with extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, and minced red onion.
- Toasted almonds: Slivered almonds or sliced almonds for a crunchy garnish that enhances the nutty flavor.
- Diced avocado: Adds a delicious creaminess. Make sure avocados are ripe, slightly soft with brown skin. If you are planning ahead buy unripened avocados, so they aren’t mushy when making this spinach avocado salad.
- Parmesan cheese: Freshly grated parmesan cheese or shredded block of parmesan cheese is the best choice for salad’s taste and texture. Asiago cheese is also great in this salad.
Recipe Tip
Sweet blueberries are optional but are the perfect match for peppery leafy greens and creamy avocado.
How to Make Spinach Avocado Salad
This simple spinach salad is super easy to bring together and ready in 25 minutes!
- Make dressing: In a small bowl or jar with tight fitting lid, combine spinach salad dressing ingredients. Whisk or shake until well mixed and set aside.
- Toast almonds: Preheat a large skillet on medium heat and cook sliced nuts for 3-5 minutes until lightly browned and fragrant, then set aside.
- Dice avocado: Cut avocado in half lengthwise using a chef’s knife. Hold half with a pit in one hand, gently tap the knife into the pit deep enough to twist the knife and discard the pit. Remove with a spoon and dice. Follow this tutorial with photos on how to cut an avocado.
- Combine greens and dressing: Add the spinach and arugula to a large bowl and drizzle dressing on top, then gently toss with wooden spoons. Use as much salad dressing as you like, I like to start with a small amount and slowly add more.
- Assemble and serve: Place avocado, almonds and cheese to the bowl, gently toss once more and serve spinach avocado salad immediately.
Tips for Best Results
Here are 5 tips on making a great spinach and avocado salad.
- Prevent avocado from browning: Make sure it is ripe, dice only when you are ready to assemble ingredients, and add them last before tossing.
- Buy pre-washed spinach: It is affordable, convenient, and highly nutritional green packed with minerals and vitamins.
- Try other healthy salad dressings: Mix things up and try my cilantro avocado dressing or poppyseed dressing.
- Use any nuts: Garnish with your favorite nuts or try a mix. Pine nuts, walnuts, pecans, and pumpkin seeds are among my favorite salad add-ins.
- Serve immediately: Like most salads, this salad is best served fresh so the ingredients do not become brown and soggy.
What to Serve Spinach Avocado Salad with?
Spinach avocado salad is perfect all year round. It makes an amazing dish on its own, a light appetizer, or fresh side dish next to any main meal.
Make a protein packed salad by topping with some sliced lemon pepper chicken breast or lemon garlic chicken breast.
Enjoy a restaurant quality meal for your next date night or any special occasion and serve with beef eye of round roast.
How to Store It
Store: Assemble the spinach salad keeping the dressing in a separate jar and the nuts in a cool dry place. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
I do not recommend freezing any spinach salad. The water content in the vegetables causes freezer burn, the texture changes once thawed, and the dressing separates.
FAQs
Yes. Store salad ingredients separately from dressing and keep in the fridge for up to 2 days. Do not store the nuts in the fridge, best to keep them cool and dry.
No need to wash baby spinach leaves if you buy it in a box that’s pre-washed.
To wash other spinach, you can fill a clean sink or large bowl with cold water, add spinach leaves and swirl them around to remove dirt and grit. Lay the spinach on dry paper towel and gently blot away the excess water.
If you have a salad spinner, fill it with cold water and soak the spinach leaves. Lift the basket out so dirt falls to the bottom and pour out the dirty water. Repeat if necessary, then spin dry.
I love avocado’s creamy texture paired with tomatoes, cucumber, bell peppers, olives, zucchini, or red onion.
Since this recipe uses about half the dressing, refrigerate leftovers for up to 2 weeks. Alternatively, you can just make half of it but it’s very handy to have on hand for more salads.
More Spinach Recipes to Try
- Wilted spinach salad
- Healthy spinach dip
- Spinach stuffed chicken breast
- Crustless spinach quiche
- Healthy spinach artichoke dip
- Favorite spinach salad
More Avocado Recipes to Try
- Corn tomato avocado salad
- Chicken avocado salad
- Avocado tomato salad
- Avocado egg salad
- Avocado toast
- Shrimp avocado salad
- Tomato mozzarella avocado salad
- Cucumber tomato avocado salad
Spinach Avocado Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 cups baby spinach
- 3 cups baby arugula
- 3/4 cup slivered almonds or sliced almonds toasted
- 3 avocados cubed
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese or Asiago cheese shaved or shredded
- 1/3 cup spinach salad dressing
Instructions
- Make spinach salad dressing and set aside.
- To toast the nuts, preheat large skillet on medium heat, add almonds and cook for 3-5 minutes or until browned and fragrant, stirring often. Watch closely not to burn. Set aside.
- In a large salad bowl, add spinach and arugula, drizzle with dressing and toss to coat.
- Then add avocado, toasted almonds, cheese and toss gently a few times to combine. You can also add blueberries or any other berries, if you wish.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Make ahead: Refrigerate salad ingredients separately from the dressing covered with plastic wrap for up to 2 days. Store nuts in a cool dry place, in the fridge they lose crunch.
- Dressing in a jar can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks. Place in a bowl with hot water for 10 minutes to warm up, then shake.
- Arugula: Adds nice zest but you can use more spinach instead.
- Full grown spinach: Chop large leaves.
