Our Spinach and Blueberry Salad is a great way to get your daily dose of greens and antioxidants! The cilantro lime dressing is light and refreshing, while the blueberries add a sweetness that complements the spinach.
We have taken sweet luscious blueberries, vibrant baby spinach, creamy avocado and red pepper for a pop of colour then drizzled them with our deliciously tangy cilantro-lime vinaigrette for an unforgettable super tasty salad.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Blueberries - well and truly the star in this salad, we have used them for their sweetness and incredible antioxidant benefits. You can replace it with blackberries, raspberries or strawberries if you prefer.
- Baby Spinach - we have used it as a base in this salad and because it is high in iron. You can swap it for some rocket/arugula or with a mesclun or spring mix instead.
- Red Bell Pepper/Capsicum - for their sweet fruitiness and a pop of colour, swap the red for yellow if you are using strawberries or raspberries for a nice contrast. They are high in vitamin A and will give you 169% of your vitamin C needs.
- Avocado - in this salad for its wonderful creaminess and healthy fat content that will keep you fuller for longer.
- Coriander/Cilantro - here for its citrusy taste, however, if you hate it try replacing with some aromatic basil or refreshing mint instead.
- Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette - we have blitzed cilantro, lime, fresh ginger, garlic and a dash of cumin powder for its earthiness. The cilantro can be replaced with basil or mint if you prefer. Or if you are looking for a simple dressing just use any citrus and oil mix. (¼ cup citrus to ⅓ cup oil).
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1 - Prepare Your Veg and Berries
Wash your baby spinach and dry it with a towel or with a salad spinner for extra dry leaves.
Wash your blueberries and pat dry.
Wash your capsicum/pepper remove the core and seeds then dice finely.
Wash, peel and remove the seed from your avocado, then dice, and squeeze some lemon or lime juice on top to prevent it from browning.
Step 2 - Make the Dressing
Wash your coriander/cilantro, shake to remove excess water, pat dry. Cut off the root ends the roughly chop, keep a ⅓ cup to use in the dressing. Reserve the rest for the salad.
Add the chopped coriander and the avocado oil, lime juice, ginger and garlic in a blender.
Taste your blueberries then depending on how sweet they are, you may need to add some sweetener.
Then add the cumin powder, season with sea salt and cracked black pepper and blitz to combine.
Taste and adjust seasonings according to your personal preferences.
Step 3 - Assemble the Salad
Put everything in a large mixing bowl, and season with some sea salt and cracked black pepper.
Pour over the dressing and toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings, arrange in a serving bowl and serve.
Questions and Tips
Can Spinach Blueberry Salad Be Made Ahead?
- The dressing can be made a day or two in advance and kept covered in your fridge until you are ready to assemble the salad.
- Toss the ingredients together several hours in advance (make sure your avocado has lots of lemon juice). Pour the vinaigrette on top and toss it through the salad just before serving.
- Alternatively, you can also serve the dressing on the side in a small jug.
How Can I Store Leftovers?
Keep it covered in your fridge, and this salad is still good to eat the following day even though it had lost its “freshness”. You can add some tuna flakes or quinoa to bulk it up.
Meal Prep Tips
- This is an excellent salad to meal prep for lunches and can be made more substantial by adding some cooked quinoa or grilled chicken, pulled pork or seared beef/lamb strips.
- Assemble your salad, making sure that your avocado has been smothered in lemon juice to prevent browning then portion into individual containers.
- Make the dressing and pack into small containers to keep it separate from the salad.
- Pour over the dressing and toss to combine just before eating.
Looking for More Berry Salad Recipes to Try?
Recipe Card
Equipment
- Salad Spinner
- Small Food Processor or High-Speed / Bullet Blender
Ingredients
- 150 grams baby spinach (approximately 5 cups)
- 2 small packets blueberries (approximately 250 grams)
- 1 large avocado (approximately 280 grams)
- 1 medium red capsicum / bell pepper (approximately 150 grams)
- 1 small bunch coriander cilantro (half for salad half for dressing)
- ¼ cup lime juice
- ⅓ cup avocado oil
- 1 tablespoon ginger grated
- 1 teaspoon sweetener optional
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ¼ teaspoon cumin powder
Instructions
- Wash and dry all your vegetables and blueberries. Use a salad spinner for the baby spinach for extra dry leaves.
- Remove the core and seeds from the capsicum/ bell pepper then dice finely.
- Wash, peel and remove the seed from your avocado, then dice, squeeze some lemon or lime juice on top to prevent browning.
- Wash your coriander/cilantro, shake to remove excess water, pat dry. Cut off the root ends then roughly chop, keep a ⅓ cup to use in the dressing. Reserve the rest for the salad.
- Add the chopped coriander and the avocado oil, lime juice, ginger and garlic in a blender. Taste your blueberries then depending on how sweet they are, you may need to add some sweetener - add the cumin powder and season with sea salt and cracked black pepper and blitz to combine.
- Taste and adjust seasonings according to your personal preferences.
- Put everything in a large mixing bowl, season with some sea salt and cracked black pepper. Pour over the dressing and toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings, arrange in a serving bowl and serve.
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