Strawberry Apple Spinach Salad with a Strawberry Vinaigrette

Eat your leaves.

The secret to enjoying your leaves (especially if you don’t like them in the first place) is to put stuff on top of it that you like, so in the end you can barely see the greens at the bottom. It’s the same theory that applies to when you spill a drink at a party, cover it up with an unfolded napkin, and awkwardly walk away: if you can’t see it, then it’s not there.

However, this theory only works when you put good-for-you stuff on your salad. I remember once I went out to eat with my friends and there was a deep-fried chicken salad. That’s kinda like washing your clothes and using chocolate syrup as a stain remover. The effort is there! But it ends up canceling itself out in the end.

Adding fresh fruit into salads adds sweet and slightly tart flavors, which can be good if you’re looking to hide the sometimes bitter taste of spring greens. They also help vary the texture so it doesn’t feel like you’re just chewing on grass.

I used the common power duo-spinach and strawberries-but as the seasons change, try adding different fruits to different types of greens.

As stated before, I’m not really a salad dressing type of girl. However, I’ve found another exception with this vinaigrette. Most likely because it’s slightly sweet and the flavors are really very simple. You can call it minimalistic and put it in a display case at the MoMA.

Plus, this is  a pretty colorful looking salad. Eating a plate with lots of different colors makes me feel extra good about myself. So I dig it.

Also, this salad is just as, if not more refreshing without chicken. Meatless Monday ideas anyone?

Now go stab some leaves with forks!

For the Strawberry Vinaigrette:

makes about 1/4 cup of vinaigrette

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of chopped strawberries ( make sure to wash them!)
• 1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar (I used white balsamic vinegar)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• dash of black pepper
• dash of salt

For the salad:

makes one big serving or 2 smaller side salad servings (remember that apples oxidize and get brown after a while!)

• about 2 handfuls or 1.5 cups of baby spinach
• 4 large strawberries, sliced
• 1/3 cup blueberries
• 1/2 an apple chopped into cubes
• optional: a chicken breast, cut into slices
• 2 tbsp sliced almonds

Instructions:

1. To make the vinaigrette, simply place the strawberries, olive oil, vinegar, black pepper, and salt in a blender and blend until completely smooth. This can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days I believe. (i can’t really confirm. It was used up pretty quickly.)
2. For the salad, simply wash and prep all of the fruits, and toss them together in a bowl. To make your salad easier to eat, you can chop up the spinach or cut it with kitchen shears.
3. Serve!

I hope you learned to enjoy your greens a little more!