About 2 months ago, I found a wonderful salad at Trader Joe’s called “Super Spinach Salad.” I have been buying it almost every week for my lunch at work since my discovery! It has become one of my favorites, but I wanted to be able to make it at home and share with my family. The ingredients for the salad were easy to find, but the dried cranberries in salad were “juicy and plump.” So I took the organic dried cranberries I had at home and soaked them in some organic apple juice, but you can also use just water to soften them.
My next dilemma was how am I going to make the salad dressing? I read the ingredients label on the salad package and the following below is what I came up with. The only change in ingredients was I used garlic, instead of miso. I hope you enjoy this salad as much as I do!
Ingredients for salad:
- 1 package (6 ounces) organic baby spinach
- 1 can (15 ounces) organic garbanzo beans
- 1 package (12 ounces) frozen shelled edamame, thawed
- 1/3 cup dried organic cranberries, soaked in water to soften
- Shredded carrots
- Organic sugarplum tomatoes
- Pumpkin seeds
Ingredients for salad dressing:
- 10 organic baby carrots
- 3 tablespoons organic canola oil
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon grated ginger
- 1 small clove garlic, minced
- Sea salt
Directions:
- In a blender, add carrots, canola oil, sesame oil, rice vinegar, ginger and garlic. Blend thoroughly. Add salt to taste. Mix again. The salad dressing is on the thick side. The best way to use dressing (in my opinion) is to place it in a small dish and dip your fork into the dressing and then into the salad.
- Place spinach (1/3 of package or 2 ounces) on a large plate. Sprinkle with garbanzo beans, edamame, cranberries and carrots. Garnish with tomatoes and finally, sprinkle with pumpkin seeds. Serves 3.
I love all the ingredients so it goes without saying that I would love this salad. I thought it’s interesting that you blended baby carrots into the dressing. I’ll have to try that! Thanks for bringing this to Fiesta Friday. Btw, how would you like us to address you? Is Simple & Healthy okay? 🙂
LikeLike
It is okay to address me as Simple & Healthy Foods. In regards to the dressing, Trader Joe’s had carrots in their dressing, but it is going to have a thick consistency. I am excited to be a part of Fiesta Friday. Thank you!
LikeLike
I had to shorten it to “Simple & Healthy” (without “Foods”). I hope that’s okay. The codes on my blog won’t take a longer name. I hope you’re having fun. Have you visited the other links? Mix and mingle continues to be my motto. That’s how you gain the most out of a party like this. 🙂
LikeLike
Not yet, this is all new to me. I am learning something new everyday! I just got my early Christmas present to myself, a DSLR camera! Just been using my iphone. Also bought the book, “Plate to Pixel.” Hopefully, the quality of my pictures will improve soon! You have wonderful photos!
LikeLike
Aha, you’ve caught the photography bug! It happened to me, too, lol… We’ll all learn and improve together. I find that part very inspiring. 🙂
LikeLike
When I started blogging in August, I never knew you could become friends with other bloggers! What a pleasant surprise!
LikeLike
Pingback: Fiesta Friday #45 | The Novice Gardener
Thank you!
LikeLike
Health and taste, go hand in hand. Nice!
LikeLike
Thank you so much!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You are most welcome. We’ve got something healthy on Christmas table now 🙂
LikeLike
What a beautiful salad…btw, I just went to Trader Joe’s yesterday and was intrigued by a bag of RED spinach…you may want to try! 🙂
LikeLike
Thank you! I will be going to Trader Joe’s later today and will definitely check it out!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love the look of the carrot dressing. We grow spinach here in abundance, so anything that could make a ‘different’ spinach salad is good.
LikeLike
Wish I could take all the credit, but I must give kudos to Trader Joe’s! Thank you!
LikeLike
This is salad looks so yummy, and would definitely make you feel good! That salad dressing is definitely a winner too, I love that carrots are blended right into it I bet that gives it a really nice sweetness! Definitely going to have to try that one
Thanks for sharing this with us at Fiesta Friday 🙂 x
LikeLike
Thank you so much! This is my first Fiesta Friday. So glad to have participated!
LikeLike
Ooh an extra welcome to you then! So glad you could join us, hope you’ll be back next week too 😀
LikeLike