Simple Fresh Spinach Salad
Simple Fresh Spinach Salad
Nothing like fresh spinach to make a wonderful salad! Full of nutrients too! Add hard boiled eggs or dress up with leftover ham. Ingredients add color and meal appeal. Prepare it plain too… this simple dish is ready to eat. Easy to take on the go for your lunch too!
Simple Fresh Spinach Salad
Yield: 4 dinner salads or 2 -3 entrée portions
Ingredients:
1 8-ounce bag washed spinach leaves
1/2 large red onion, thinly sliced
4 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
Optional:
6 ounces sliced ham or turkey, cubed (or 1/2-pound cooked bacon, crumbled)
3 hard boiled eggs, chopped
Dressings:
1/4 - 1/2 cup balsamic vinaigrette, bottled or homemade
1/4 - 1/2 cup Creamy Ceasar Dressing
Balsamic Vinaigrette
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar, regular or flavored
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 clove garlic, minced or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons water
Equipment needed:
Cutting board
Chef knife
Measuring spoons
Liquid measuring cup
Kitchen shears
Egg slicer
Pint ball jar with lid (for dressing)
Large salad bowl
Salad tongs
It always seems that when Easter is over I have so many hard-boiled eggs and never know what to do with them besides egg salad. This easy salad was something my mother used to make, especially after Easter, served with a warm dressing and crumbled bacon. Many people love bacon, but it’s rather high in fat without much protein content either. So, I’d rather cube up a bit of leftover ham or deli meat instead! Really any meat will do the trick too. If you can slice, chop and cut with scissors... this is a dish for you! Grab your ingredients and let’s make a salad!
It’s important to buy spinach that has been washed and cleaned if possible. I often make this salad using spinach from my garden, but if you don’t know the source of your produce, washing it or buying organic is important. I generally don’t remove the stems from the spinach unless they are very long and fibrous. Place the spinach leaves into a large mixing bowl and chop them using a pair of kitchen shears. I find this technique a great time saver, as when I chop small greens on a cutting board it seems to fly everywhere! If you’re not purchasing mushrooms pre- cut, slice them into about 3 – 4 slices each with the stem. Often when I buy pre-sliced mushrooms, they are huge and need to be cut in half to be more mouth manageable. Red onion is your last vegetable to prep. Cut the onion in half to create a flat surface. Slice the onion very thinly and then in half once to create a more manageable piece. Place the mushrooms and red onion on top of the bowl of spinach.
Egg slicers are the coolest invention! This one pictured is actually metal and was one of my mom’s. Borrowed it... permanently! They do come in plastic and metal too... considered a
cheap investment if you slice or chop eggs often. You can chop the eggs by hand with a knife if you choose, but I’ll stick with my slicer! Place the egg on the slicer hot dog style or long way and slice through. Be careful to keep the egg together. Rotate the egg the other direction on the slicer and make a second cut. See how even the slices are? So pretty and ready to be placed on top of the salad.
I often use leftover ham from a holiday dinner, but sliced deli ham or turkey also works well! I have also cut up leftover chicken, grilled or baked. Cube the meat into 1-inch cubes and place on top of the salad bowl of veggies and egg. Give the salad a few tosses with your clean hands or a pair of salad tongs. I prefer to use my hands, but two spoons or a pair of regular tongs work too.
The final step is the addition of the dressing. Don’t add this until you are ready to serve the salad. If added too soon the spinach will wilt and the eggs become mushy. Use the vinaigrette recipe above by combing all the ingredients into a pint jar and shaking to combine, or a bottled dressing of choice. I’m not a Ranch dressing fan, but it can make a great addition to this salad too! I’v also used my homemade Caesar Dressing, linked above. Begin with about 1⁄4 cup of dressing and gently coat to cover the greens. Taste the salad and add more dressing according to your preference. Doesn’t it taste wonderful and look so colorful? I often make this salad with dressing on the side for a light lunch at work, but it can make a wonderful side salad served with chicken... I just leave out the meat ingredient or sprinkle with bacon. The possibilities are endless... Enjoy!