Description

This vibrant Spinach Avocado Salad with Oranges offers a delightful mix of fresh baby spinach, sweet navel oranges, creamy avocado, tangy feta cheese, crunchy sliced almonds, and chewy dried cranberries, all brought together with a simple homemade balsamic vinaigrette. Perfect as a refreshing side dish for holidays, potlucks, or easy weeknight dinners, this colorful salad combines a variety of textures and flavors that make it anything but boring.

Ingredients

Scale

For Balsamic Vinaigrette:

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Ground black pepper, to taste

For Salad:

5 ounces baby spinach
2 large navel oranges
2 medium ripe avocados, diced
2 small shallots, or ½ red onion, thinly sliced
⅓ cup crumbled feta or goat cheese
¼ cup sliced almonds (optional)
¼ cup dried cranberries (optional)
Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

Make the Dressing: Whisk together Dijon mustard, honey, balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, and ground black pepper until well combined. Set aside to allow flavors to meld.
Prepare the Base: Place the baby spinach in a large bowl or on a large serving platter, spreading it out evenly to create the salad base.
Segment the Oranges: Cut the top and bottom ends off the oranges. Place one cut end down on a cutting board and carefully carve around the orange to remove the peel and white pith while preserving as much of the flesh as possible. Slice each orange in half lengthwise, then cut into half-inch thick half-moons.
Assemble the Salad: Arrange the orange slices and diced avocado evenly over the bed of spinach. Scatter thinly sliced shallots or red onion, crumbled feta cheese, sliced almonds, and dried cranberries over the top, if using.
Season and Serve: Sprinkle salt and freshly ground black pepper over the salad to taste. Drizzle the prepared balsamic vinaigrette over the salad just before serving or serve it on the side.

Notes

You can substitute goat cheese for feta for a milder flavor or omit cheese entirely for a dairy-free option.
If you have nut allergies or prefer no nuts, simply leave out the sliced almonds.
Other citrus fruits like Cara Cara oranges, blood oranges, or mandarins make excellent substitutes or additions to this salad.
For best results, use ripe but firm avocados to maintain texture in the salad.
This salad is versatile and can be customized by adding or omitting ingredients based on preference.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Category: Salad
Method: No-Cook
Cuisine: American

Keywords: Spinach salad, avocado salad, orange salad, balsamic vinaigrette, healthy salad, side dish, holiday salad, potluck recipe, vegetarian salad