Blueberry Spinach Salad
This salad just screams healthy to me! This is why I decided to share it today. With all of the health issues the world is facing I am ALL about what simple things we can do to support our immune system and give ourselves the best possible chance to combat any illness we may face.
Blueberry Spinach Salad Recipe
This salad has a few simple ingredients but I chose them specifically for two main reasons. One reason is for health benefits, the other is flavor! I love being able to eat healthy in a delicious way!
Salad Ingredients: (full recipe below)
Spinach-Spinach is definitely a superfood! It is so full of nutrients, with Vitamin C being one of them. Vitamin C is key to keeping our symptoms of the cold or flu more bearable or to help fight the germs our bodies come in contact with every day!
Blueberries-Not only do blueberries help with memory and heart health (among other things), they are packed with flavonoids (a class of antioxidants) that cut down your chance of catching a cold by a third! It’s no wonder that WebMD calls blueberries a ‘One Food Wonder’.
Chicken- Chicken is a good source of vitamin B12, niacin, vitamin B6, pantothenic acid and also contains vitamin E and vitamin K, just to name a couple.
Poppyseed Dressing –Poppy seeds are a rich source of thiamin, folate, and other essential minerals. They are known to relieve exhaustion, decrease anxiety, and aid a good night’s sleep. They can be used to ease a dry cough(!) in their purest form. We aren’t using much in this recipe and they are in a dressing that contains sugar, so if you want a super healthy salad, try using a sprinkling of fresh poppy seeds!
How to Make Blueberry Spinach Salad
This really couldn’t be easier! There are two different ways to serve this delicious salad.
- Place the spinach in a bowl and then layer the other ingredients on top, each with its own section. This is a fancier way to serve but make sure your bowl is bigger than you would think you need to you don’t make a mess when serving at the table.
- Mix all ingredients together in a big bowl and then transfer to a smaller serving bowl.
No matter what method you prefer it is guaranteed your salad will be fantastic!
Tips & Tricks for Spinach Salad
- Season the chicken by sprinkling with salt and pepper. You could mix it up for your liking by adding other seasonings or even marinating with a balsamic vinaigrette.
- I didn’t add any cheese to this recipe, but you sure can! I love the creamy texture of goat cheese, but you could also use feta or even blue cheese. It can be fun to add a little tang to this salad!
- This salad is also great with some toasted almond slivers or even some candied pecans if you want to get fancy.
Don’t miss my Homemade Ginger Ale for a refreshing and healthy drink option with this salad! And as always, make sure you are prepared. Check out my Food Preparedness post on how to stock up on essentials!
More Delicious Salads
Spinach Blueberry Salad
Ingredients
- 8 ounces baby spinach
- ½ pint blueberries, rinsed
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds, I used salted
- 1 shallot, diced fine (about 1/3 cup)
- 2 chicken breasts, cooked and sliced (I used rotisserie chicken)
- poppyseed dressing, as much or as little as you would like
Instructions
- In a large bowl add fresh baby spinach.
- To that, add the blueberries, tomatoes, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, and diced shallot.
- Place cut chicken on top. (I like to place ingredients in sections and then toss the salad when I am ready to serve.)
- Pour dressing over (start with less than you think you would need, you can always add more!) and then toss the salad.
- Serve immediately.
Did you make this recipe?
You can tag me at @iamhomesteader.
Looks so yummy! I will be recommending them to my clients.