A simple spinach salad with an easy homemade balsamic vinaigrette makes for a delicious and healthy side dish! This recipe takes just minutes to prepare and is perfect with dinner on a busy night.

You guys know I love my salads, right?

I’m ALL about the veggies and I’m usually finding new ways to load up with more, more, more. 💚

(I adore my farro, kale and strawberry salad with goat cheese, cannot get enough of my healthy broccoli apple salad and my mixed greens salad with fruit is a summertime and brunch favorite.)

But sometimes, you just need a salad to serve with dinner. Like, right now. With whatever you’ve got in the fridge.

It needs to be easy, quick and delicious.

Baby spinach and homemade balsamic vinaigrette. Voila!

So, I love baby spinach salad recipes all kinds of ways, but in this case, it’s the dressing that does it, really.

The balsamic vinaigrette is so tasty. Homemade really is miles above and beyond anything you can get in the store, so it makes this salad a joy to eat.

And it couldn’t be easier.

You just add garlic, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper and olive oil to a small jar or container.

I use a ratio closer to 1:1 for my oil:vinegar ratio and that works for me. Feel free to add more oil if you want to get closer to the traditional 3:1 oil:vinegar ratio.

I just eyeball it really, in my container from the side as I pour in the olive oil. 

Then shake it, shake it, shake it and you are set!

Seriously, homemade salad dressings should not be intimidating. They can be oh so fast and easy and you’ll be blown away by how much more flavorful they are. 👌

(You should also check out my homemade Italian dressing, which is another great staple. And homemade soy ginger dressing is perfect for Asian-style dishes and so addictive!)

Now, I’ve got some notes and substitutions coming up for this recipe. Just tryin’ to be helpful.

If you want to jump on down to the recipe, simply scroll right on through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section.

Notes on making simple spinach salad:

• It helps to have really good balsamic vinegar and olive oil here since those are your big flavors. You don’t have to go buy the most expensive thing you can find in the store. In fact, I get the Costco brand for both my balsamic vinegar and olive oil and have found them to be very good quality and flavor. Find something you love.
• You also want fresh, bright baby spinach to use in this salad for the best flavor.
• Or you can swap out your favorite green for this salad if you want to change things up. A spring mix, arugula or butter lettuce would be great here too. Or use a combination!
• Make sure to wait to add the dressing until right before you are ready to serve. Greens, once tossed with a vinaigrette, have a short shelf life before they begin to wilt.

Want to spruce up this salad a bit with some fun toppings?

You know I love some toppings so of course I’ve got you covered!

Toppings for easy spinach salad:

– Feta cheese, olives and cherry tomatoes

– Shaved Parmesan cheese, pecans and diced strawberries

– Crumbled blue cheese, chopped walnuts and diced apple

– Peaches, pecans and goat cheese

– Strawberries, pistachios and mozzarella cheese

– Blueberries, pecans and feta cheese

– Dried cranberries, walnuts and goat cheese

There’s really tons of ways to customize this. Mix it up with your favorites!

May you have a partner and a family that thinks this easy salad rocks as much as my family does.

And if not, change it up with some of those topping ideas above and you’re still covered with a great go-to any night of the week. 👍

Enjoy!

XO,

Kathryn

P.S. Check out all of my other healthy salad recipes for more inspiration!

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Yield: 4 servings

Super simple spinach salad

Print

A simple but divine spinach salad with homemade balsamic vinaigrette!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

For the salad:

• 5-6 cups fresh baby spinach

For the dressing:

• 1/2 clove minced garlic
• 1 overflowing tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• pinch of sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions

1. Put your spinach into a big bowl. If you're using any add-ins, go ahead and add them now. (See notes for ideas.)
2. Mix all of the dressing ingredients together in a small jar or container with a tight-fitting lid. Shake them up until it's well mixed.
3. Pour the dressing over the spinach right before you’re ready to serve.
4. Enjoy!

Notes

Want to add some fun mix-ins to this salad? Here's a few ideas:– Feta cheese, olives and cherry tomatoes

– Shaved Parmesan cheese, pecans and diced strawberries

– Crumbled blue cheese, chopped walnuts and diced apple

– Peaches, pecans and goat cheese

– Strawberries, pistachios and mozzarella cheese

– Blueberries, pecans and feta cheese

– Dried cranberries, walnuts and goat cheese

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 103Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 213mgCarbohydrates: 10gFiber: 5gSugar: 2gProtein: 7g