Blueberry Spinach Salad

A fresh summer salad with blueberries and walnuts is just what you need! It’s the perfect sweet-and-savory side dish or a light lunch. The crunch from the nuts and my homemade blueberry vinaigrette make this blueberry salad recipe stand out when you’re growing tired of the same old salads. 

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

When you make a spinach salad with blueberries, it just bursts with flavors…literally! Sweet blueberries, crunchy walnuts, creamy avocado, and salty vegan feta come together for a true delight. It’s nutritious and customizable too, making it different from the average green salad. Plus, it is elegant enough to serve guests as a starter, and so simple too. 

Nutrition For Mental Health

As a nutritionist, I love berries! (I mean, what’s not to love!?) Blueberries have 14.5 grams of carbohydrates, 2.4 grams of fiber, and 0.7 grams of protein per 100 grams. They contain beneficial plant compounds and powerful antioxidants, including anthocyanins and quercetin.

Blueberries are a good source of vitamins A, E, K, C, and B6, as well as copper and manganese.

A cross-sectional study of Japanese workers found that low intake of copper, zinc, and manganese is associated with anxiety and depressive symptoms

Ingredients + Substitutions

If my blueberry spinach salad sounds good to you right now but you’re missing something, or maybe aren’t too keen on an ingredient, here’s what you can do instead.

Ingredients for spinach and blueberry salad on a gray counter.
  • Greens: No spinach on hand? You could use other kinds of greens like baby kale, Swiss chard, arugula, or butter lettuce. 
  • Cheese: I love vegan feta, and it goes so well with the blueberries and spinach, though you can choose another soft cheese.
  • Nuts: Instead of walnuts, you could try toasted pecans or almonds to get a similar crunch. Pistachios or hazelnuts would also be nice!

A full list of ingredients with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

How To Make Spinach Blueberry Salad

It doesn’t get any easier than this to put together my blueberry spinach salad for lunch, a starter, or a side to any meal!

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  1. Spread greens out on a large serving platter or shallow bowl. Add avocado, blueberries, walnuts, and feta.
  1. Drizzle on blueberry vinaigrette, toss, and enjoy!
Blueberry dressing being poured over spinach and blueberry salad.

Servings Ideas

More joining you at the table? This blueberry walnut salad is divine with my beet hummus sandwich or your favorite main dish. Want to do a soup and salad type of thing? Try it with my white bean and cabbage soup or vegan minestrone. I’ve created this recipe with my blueberry vinaigrette in mind, but my balsamic basil vinaigrette is amazing with it as well.

How To Store This Homemade Salad

If you have leftovers after dressing the salad, I recommend that you eat it within a day, or it will become soggy. Left undressed, you can keep it for 2 to 3 days, though it’s so easy to make, it’s best to throw a new one together whenever the mood strikes. 

FAQ

Do spinach and blueberries go together?

Absolutely! Spinach is mild and easy to pair with pretty much anything, so that sweet burst of flavor from the blueberries is a winning combination. 

What is the healthiest salad to eat? 

Any salad can be healthy when it’s made with a balance of nutritious ingredients. Dark, leafy greens and a rainbow of veggies give you a wide array of nutrients, flavors, and textures. Fruits can also add extra magic with contrasting flavors that make you want to eat every last bite. Finding new combinations of things can make a salad go from “meh” to something you want to eat every day. Just make sure you stay away from anything you’re allergic to.

If you tried this Blueberry and Spinach Salad Recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!

Recipe

Blueberry dressing being poured over spinach and blueberry salad.
5 from 1 vote

Blueberry Spinach Salad

A fresh summer salad with blueberries and walnuts is just what you need! It's the perfect sweet-and-savory side dish or a light lunch. The crunch from the nuts and my homemade blueberry vinaigrette make this blueberry salad recipe stand out when you’re growing tired of the same old salads.
Prep Time:10 minutes
Total Time:10 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Main Dish, Salad
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegan
Yield: 6 Servings
Calories: 160kcal

Ingredients 
 

  • 6 ounces spinach
  • 1 avocado, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup blueberries
  • ½ cup walnuts, toasted
  • cup vegan feta cheese, crumbled
  • Blueberry Vinaigrette

Instructions

  1. Spread greens out on a large serving platter or shallow bowl. Add avocado, blueberries, walnuts, and feta.
  2. Drizzle on blueberry vinaigrette, toss, and enjoy!

Video

Notes

How To Store This Homemade Salad
If you have leftovers after dressing the salad, I recommend that you eat it within a day, or it will become soggy. Left undressed, you can keep it for 2 to 3 days, though it’s so easy to make, it’s best to throw a new one together whenever the mood strikes. 
*Nutrition calculation is a good estimate. It does not include the calories or nutrition information for the blueberry vinaigrette. That can be found in the blueberry dressing recipe card.

Nutrition

Calories: 160kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 120mg | Potassium: 388mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 2758IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 1mg

Did you make this recipe?

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Reference

Nakamura, M., Miura, A., Nagahata, T., Shibata, Y., Okada, E., & Ojima, T. (2019). Low Zinc, Copper, and Manganese Intake is Associated with Depression and Anxiety Symptoms in the Japanese Working Population: Findings from the Eating Habit and Well-Being Study. Nutrients, 11(4), 847. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11040847

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5 from 1 vote

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