Sweet and savory green salad with spinach, beet, orange and walnuts
Of all the green salad recipes, this is one of those we really enjoy. Vegetables and fruits (orange) are beautifully combined in an amazing savory and sweet result.
The ingredients we are using are rather simple: spinach, beets (beetroot), orange and walnuts.
The dressing is a honey and garlic vinegar sauce that enhances the taste of the dish adding the sweet and sour taste we are looking for in a recipe for salad.
The base for this salad is the spinach. Spinach is a very versatile ingredient, and can be used as the main ingredient for many green salad recipes instead of lettuce. You can either use baby spinach, or select some fresh spinach with tender leaves.
We don't need to go into length about the health benefits of a fresh spinach salad recipe like this one. It's a green salad full of valuable vitamins and many other important nutrients (like iron, phenols etc). If you are looking for a seriously healthy salad, this is definitely one of the best choices! A salad you can eat and actually feel that you are giving your body great food.
One other great aspect of this salad recipe, is that it's very easy to make, and requires very little time for preparation if you already have a baked/boiled beetroot. In such case it can be ready in less than 10 minutes! You can also find very convenient packages with ready, boiled beetroots in most super markets and groceries stores. You can also use jars with boiled beetroots. If however, you use fresh beets, they have a much better taste.
This is also a beautiful salad to look at; it's full of colors and tastes, making it a great choice for any backyard party with your friends and family.
It's juicy, it has great texture, and you can serve it most of the year! Suitable for lunch and dinner, you can have this salad either as a main dish -if you're looking for a light meal- or as a side for roast. We also tried it with fish on many occasions and it was amazing, especially with salmon. You can also combine it with many vegetarian or vegan dishes. The possibilities of this salad recipe are endless!
- 100gr/3.5oz tender spinach leaves
- 20gr/0.7oz (8-9 kernels) walnuts
- 160gr/5.6oz (1 large) baked or boiled beetroot
- 130gr/4.6oz (1 medium sized) orange
For the dressing:
- 45ml (3 tablespoons) olive oil (prefer extra virgin for the salads)
- 30ml (2 tablespoons) balsamic vinegar
- 15ml (1 tablespoon) honey
- 2.5ml (1/2 teaspoon) minced garlic (about half a clove)
Preparation:
If you have a fresh beetroot, wash it, cover with water and boil for 25 minutes (medium-high heat). Let it cool down for a few minutes before you peel it.
Wash the spinach. Chop the leaves into bite-size pieces.Chop the beetroot into slices. Then chop the slices into bites.
Peel the orange and separate each slice. Peel each slice from the white membrane and cut it in two.
Here is a fantastic video that will make your life easier, when peeling and slicing an orange:)
Add all the ingredients for the dressing in a large bowl. Whisk well for 1 minute.
Add the spinach in the bowl and mix with the dressing. You can use a spoon or your hands (pic.1). Then add the beetroot (pic.2)
Add the walnuts and mix (pic.3). Finally, add the orange (pic.4), and carefully give it another stir (to avoid crushing the orange pieces).
That's it! Kali oreksi!
1. Choose ripe oranges with sweet taste for this recipe.
2. Use only tender spinach leaves or baby spinach for this salad.
3. You can also use ripe blood oranges or tangerines, with a different -also great - result.
4. You can also roast the walnuts for a few seconds before adding them, using a frying pan. Use medium heat.
5. In similar recipes, some people prefer to put the orange on top when serving the salad. This way, the color stays bright orange. We prefer to mix it with the dressing and the rest of the materials ourselves, we think it's tastier that way.
6. As mentioned, there are boiled beetroots available in the super markets and groceries stores. Some are very fresh, and are available in the fridge, some are canned, and others are in jars. Just make sure they don't have any additives/conservatives.
7. You can use 5ml (1 teaspoon) of minced garlic instead of half, if you like the taste of garlic.
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