This spicy spinach and herb salad recipe isn’t your typical side salad — crisp, tender spinach, sweet peas and crunchy sprouts are tossed with a spicy, tangy vinaigrette for the perfect bite. This spinach salad has the potential to steal the dinnertime show + has become one of my very favorite ways to use fresh spring produce!
Table of Contents
- This recipe is…
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Spinach Salad with Spicy Dressing Ingredients
- Recipe Variations and Modifications
- How to Make Spinach Salad with Spicy Dressing
- Recipe Tips
- How to Serve
- How to Store
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Favorite Salad Recipes
- Spring Spinach Salad Recipe with Spicy Dressing and Herbs Recipe
This recipe is…
This spinach salad is a show-stealer, y’all! I know, I know, you’re probably wondering how in the world a side salad can take the spotlight from a main dish, but we have full confidence that when you try this spinach salad, you’ll totally get it. In other words, this is no ordinary spinach salad recipe – the fresh herbs and spicy dressing make sure of that.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s quick and easy – This spinach salad takes no time to throw together. You can prep the dressing and salad greens ahead of time and simply toss together whenever you are ready to serve.
- It’s endlessly customizable – You can customize this spinach salad recipe to your taste. Adding and omitting greens, vegetables, herbs to your taste.
- It’s easy to dress up or down – This spinach salad is the perfect quick side dish to have on hand for a weeknight meal. However, the complex flavors in this recipe will pair deliciously with any fancy dinner party meal.
Spinach Salad with Spicy Dressing Ingredients
This spinach salad recipe’s ingredient list is simple. It’s all about fresh flavors and a mix of textures that come together to bring this recipe to life. Find ingredient notes (including substitutions and swaps) below.
- English Peas – to add some texture to the salad, you’ll want to grab 8 ounces of English peas. We used fresh peas which added a really nice crunch, but thawed frozen peas will work great too!
- Sprouts – sprouts will add to the base of the salad. We used broccoli sprouts, but you can use any sprouts you’d like!
- Fresh herbs – the fresh herbs really make this salad! You’ll need ¾ cup of fresh, finely chopped herbs altogether. We used a ¼ cup of fresh mint, a ¼ cup of fresh basil, and a ¼ cup of fresh dill, all finely chopped. Play with the herbs, though, and use what you have on hand!
- Serrano pepper – to add spice to the dressing, you’ll need 1 small thinly sliced serrano pepper. We kept the seeds in the pepper for an extra kick of spice, but if you want to tone it down a bit, feel free to scrape out the seeds and trash them!
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Recipe Variations and Modifications
- Take the spice level down – if serrano peppers are too spicy, you could swap out for the milder jalapeno pepper. Remember, removing the seeds will also lower the heat factor.
- Try a different oil – we love olive oil for its fruity flavor, but try experimenting with other oils or a combination of oils, like unrefined walnut oil, which has a slightly sweet, nutty flavor or avocado oil, which has a neutral taste similar to olive oil.
- Mix up the salad mix – swap arugula for spinach or asparagus for peas. Any combination you can think up will work here.
- Make it a main – add a protein, like this perfect grilled chicken breast or these blackened shrimp skewers to make it a complete and satisfying meal.
How to Make Spinach Salad with Spicy Dressing
This spinach salad recipe provides an easy-to-follow framework for making the perfect fresh greens salad and vinaigrette. To find out how to make it yourself, follow along below.
Step 1: Combine the serrano, garlic, lemon, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper to a mason jar with a lid or small bow. Shake or whisk to emulsify the dressing.
Step 2: Add the salad ingredients to a large bowl, then pour the dressing over top and toss to combine.
Recipe Tips
- You can substitute 1 pound of baby spinach for the bunch spinach, if needed
- The earlier you make the dressing, the more delicious it will be!
- Wash your greens, sprouts, and herbs. Allow for plenty of drying time between washing and assembling the salad. If you start with wet, soggy greens, your salad will, of course, end up wet and soggy! We recommend laying everything you wash out on clean dish towels (or paper towels) on the counter until completely dry.
How to Serve
The sky’s the limit here! Choose to keep things simple by serving this spinach salad alongside a protein (like these crispy chicken thighs) and a starchy side (like quinoa or rice). This spinach salad also pairs really beautifully alongside a “fancier” protein (like this slow roasted leg of lamb) for a special occasion dinner.
How to Store
To store: We recommend storing this spinach salad undressed to keep the spinach from wilting and becoming soggy. The salad (undressed) will stay fresh for 2-3 days in the refrigerator, and if stored in an airtight jar, the dressing will stay fresh for around 7 days in the refrigerator.
Frequently Asked Questions
Good question! In short, both have their benefits. Folate, vitamin C, and potassium are more available in raw spinach, while vitamins A + E, fiber, calcium, and iron are increased in cooked spinach. Because of this, we recommend working both raw and cooked spinach into your diet!
Loaded with a ton of vitamins and minerals, spinach all on its own is incredibly nutritious. Every ingredient included in both this herby spinach salad and the accompanying spicy dressing really adds to the salad’s dense nutrient profile, though. This spinach salad is full of: vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, folic acid, folate, iron, calcium, fiber, potassium, along with much more!
More Favorite Salad Recipes
If you tried this Spinach Salad with Spicy Dressing or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Spring Spinach Salad Recipe with Spicy Dressing and Herbs
Ingredients
For the Dressing:
- 1 small serrano pepper thinly sliced (for a milder option, remove the seeds from the pepper, then slice)
- 2 cloves of garlic grated
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Juice of 2 lemons about 1/4 cup
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
For the Salad:
- 2 bunches bunch spinach stems trimmed and roughly chopped
- 8 ounces English peas fresh or thawed frozen
- 1 cup sprouts we used broccoli sprouts
- 1 shallot finely sliced
- 1/4 cup fresh mint finely chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh basil finely chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh dill finely chopped
Instructions
- Add the dressing ingredients to a small bowl or mason jar and whisk (or seal and shake the mason jar for a super-easy option!) to combine.
- Add the salad ingredients to a large bowl, then pour the dressing over top and toss to combine.
- Serve the salad immediately so that the spinach doesn’t wilt! If you’d like to make this in advance, just wait to dress the salad until you’re ready to serve.
Recipe Notes
- You can substitute 1 pound of baby spinach for the bunch spinach, if needed
- The earlier you make the dressing, the more delicious it will be!
Nutrition
