Citrus and Pear Spinach Salad
This will be your new favorite healthy spinach salad recipe! Fresh spinach leaves, arugula, onion, sliced pears, almonds and an easy balsamic vinaigrette.
I have been eating a LOT of salads lately! Unfortunately, the weather has been SO dang hot, it’s hard for me to be hungry for anything but leafy greens.
Even if you aren’t in the sweltering Midwestern heat like me, I think you’ll love this simple spinach salad recipe. It makes the perfect side salad for an easy weeknight meal alongside a protein like Shake and Bake Pork Chops or Maple Dijon Chicken Breast.
And, this salad recipe is beautiful enough to be the star of your holiday dinner!
Recipe Ingredients:
Every good salad has a balance of healthy ingredients. In this baby spinach salad recipe, I mix spinach with arugula for a nice flavor balance.
Then, I add creamy shaved Parmesan cheese, nutty almonds and sweet pears to balance the bite of the arugula. In the dressing, I combine white balsamic vinegar and lemon juice with honey (or maple syrup) and Dijon mustard.
The easy vinaigrette uses extra virgin olive oil. Remember, adding healthy fats to your salad is important, as they help you better digest your veggies!
Recipe Substitutions and Additions
Like any recipe, there are several ways you can modify the ingredients to better use what you already have on hand at home. Here are a few suggestions:
- Substitute feta cheese or goat cheese for the shaved Parmesan cheese. You can also use grated Parmesan cheese.
- Add fresh fruits! I like sliced fresh strawberries or mandarin oranges.
- Substitute crunchy pecans, pumpkin seeds (pepitas) or sunflower seeds for the sliced almonds
- Add dried fruit! I love dried apricots or dried cranberries on this salad
- For extra protein, top with grilled chicken, salmon, garbanzo beans or your favorite plant-based protein
- It’s easy to make this recipe a vegan salad! To make this recipe a vegan spinach salad, just omit the Parmesan cheese
If you have extra pears leftover to use, I love this homemade Pear Cider recipe!
Helpful Tip: Only toss the amount of salad that you need. Save leftover salad in an airtight container (without dressing) for up to 2 days in your refrigerator.
Citrus and Pear Spinach Salad
You'll love this fresh homemade salad! Spinach, arugula, pear, onion, almonds and a homemade balsamic vinaigrette.
Ingredients
- 3 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves
- 2 ounces arugula
- 1 medium pear, sliced
- ⅔ cup red onions, sliced
- 3 ounces parmesan cheese, shaved
- ¼ cup sliced almonds
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 batch Citrus Balsamic Dressing
Instructions
- Thoroughly rinse your greens cold water, then remove and dry leaves in a salad spinner.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the raw spinach and arugula, toss to combine.
- Top with the remainder of the salad ingredients.
- Prepare your vinaigrette by putting all the ingredients into a small bowl and whisking until fully mixed. Drizzle a spoonful of vinaigrette over the salad for each serving.
- Toss the salad with dressing immediately before serving.
Nutrition Information
Yield 6 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 122Total Fat 6gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 12mgSodium 358mgCarbohydrates 11gFiber 2gSugar 5gProtein 6g
The nutrition for this recipe is calculated by an app and may be incorrect.
