Cucumber-Blueberry Spinach Salad

Active Time:

15 mins

Total Time:

15 mins

Servings:

6

Nutrition Profile:

Sesame-Free Soy-Free Vegetarian Egg-Free Gluten-Free

Jump to Nutrition Facts

Talk about a medley of gorgeous colors, flavors and textures—this Cucumber-Blueberry Spinach Salad has it all! The blueberries add a wonderful fruity flavor and pop of color, the baby spinach provides a tender, leafy bed, and the cucumber brings a crisp, hydrating bite to this summer salad. The blueberry dressing is a wonderful balance of sweet and tart and complements the creamy tang of the goat cheese. Almonds add a toasty-sweet crunch and healthy fat. All in all, this is an antioxidant-packed salad. Keep reading for our expert tips to help make your salad a hit at your next gathering.

Tips from the EatingWell Test Kitchen

These are the key tips we learned while developing and testing this recipe in our Test Kitchen to make sure it works, tastes great and is good for you too!

For the best flavor, toast the almonds: place in a small dry skillet and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 2 to 4 minutes.
For sweeter almonds, you can candy them. Cook in a nonstick skillet with 1 to 2 teaspoons granulated sugar, stirring until the sugar is completely melted and the almonds are slightly toasted.
If you don’t have a food processor handy, you can use a blender, or you can smash the blueberries in a bowl with a potato masher and then whisk in the oil.
For a slightly different flavor, you can substitute white balsamic vinegar for the champagne vinegar, and feta for the goat cheese.

Nutrition Notes

Spinach’s deep green hue provides some clues into the depth of its nutrients. Packed with the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin, spinach has been linked to healthy vision, skin, bones, heart, digestion and immune system. Regularly eating spinach may reduce your risk of chronic disease.
Despite cucumbers’ propensity to make you burp—thanks to the compound cucurbitacin—they have several health-enhancing qualities. For starters, they’re low in calories and made of 95% water. This means they’re a hydrating veggie. Because they’re rich in the mineral silica, cucumbers help promote healthy skin. And eating cucumbers may help lower blood sugar. Besides making you belch, the cucurbitacin may also help reduce cancer risk.
Like spinach, the color of blueberries indicates their antioxidant content. Blueberries are linked with lower blood sugar, reduced inflammation and improved vision, digestion, blood pressure, cholesterol levels and cognitive function.

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups fresh blueberries, divided
3 tablespoons champagne vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 (5-ounce) package baby spinach
1 cup thinly sliced unpeeled English cucumber
1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese, divided
1/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted

Directions

Combine 3/4 cup blueberries, vinegar, honey and salt in a food processor; process until fully combined, about 15 seconds. With the processor running, slowly pour oil through the chute until the dressing is emulsified, about 30 seconds.

Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Prop Stylist: Lydia Pursell, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall
Place spinach, cucumber and the remaining 1/2 cup blueberries in a large bowl. Drizzle with the dressing; toss until well coated. Transfer to a serving dish; top with goat cheese and almonds.

Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Prop Stylist: Lydia Pursell, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I meal-prep this recipe?

Absolutely. The dressing can be made ahead and refrigerated, covered, for up to four days. It just needs to be shaken before using. The salad ingredients can also be refrigerated in separate airtight containers for easy assembly.
What should I serve with Cucumber-Blueberry Spinach Salad?

This salad makes for a great side at a backyard barbecue. Serve it with grilled chicken, pork chops, fish or steak.

EatingWell.com, July 2024

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

244	Calories
21g	Fat
11g	Carbs
6g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 6
Serving Size about 1 cup
Calories 244
% Daily Value *
Total Carbohydrate 11g	4%
Dietary Fiber 2g	7%
Total Sugars 8g
Protein 6g	11%
Total Fat 21g	26%
Saturated Fat 5g	24%
Cholesterol 9mg	3%
Vitamin A 167Âµg
Vitamin C 10mg	11%
Vitamin D 0Âµg
Vitamin E 4mg	26%
Folate 54Âµg
Vitamin K 131Âµg
Sodium 241mg	10%
Calcium 70mg	5%
Iron 1mg	8%
Magnesium 41mg	10%
Potassium 227mg	5%
Zinc 1mg	5%
Vitamin B12 0Âµg
Omega 3 0g

Nutrition information is calculated by a registered dietitian using an ingredient database but should be considered an estimate.

* Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day. Percent Daily Value (%DV) found on nutrition labels tells you how much a serving of a particular food or recipe contributes to each of those total recommended amounts. Per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the daily value is based on a standard 2,000 calorie diet. Depending on your calorie needs or if you have a health condition, you may need more or less of particular nutrients. (For example, it’s recommended that people following a heart-healthy diet eat less sodium on a daily basis compared to those following a standard diet.)

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a special diet for medical reasons, be sure to consult with your primary care provider or a registered dietitian to better understand your personal nutrition needs.

Additional reporting by

Carrie Myers, M.S.