Description
A vibrant and healthy salad featuring fresh spinach, broccoli, and blueberries, all brought together with a creamy, homemade poppy seed ranch dressing.
Ingredients
For the Salad:
4 oz fresh baby spinach
1/2 cup chopped broccoli
1/2 a ripe avocado
1/4 cup blueberries
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
2–4 TBSP dried cranberries
2–4 TBSP roasted sunflower seeds
Black pepper to taste (optional)
For the Dressing:
1/2 cup of plain greek yogurt or sour cream
1/4 cup of buttermilk
1/4 cup good quality mayonnaise
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp lemon juice or white vinegar
1 tsp poppy seeds
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp dried dill
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp paprika
1/8–1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp sea salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Step 1: Begin with the dressing. Peel, smash, and mince 1 clove of garlic into a paste, then season it with salt.
- Step 2: In a bowl, combine the salted garlic paste with the greek yogurt, buttermilk, mayonnaise, lemon juice, poppy seeds, parsley, dill, onion powder, paprika, garlic powder, sea salt, and pepper.
- Step 3: Whisk the dressing ingredients until well combined. For best results, chill in the refrigerator for a few hours to allow the flavors to set.
- Step 4: Wash and thoroughly dry the baby spinach.
- Step 5: In a large salad bowl, combine the spinach, chopped broccoli, blueberries, dried cranberries, avocado, crumbled feta cheese, and roasted sunflower seeds.
- Step 6: Drizzle the chilled dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat everything.
- Step 7: Season with a final dash of black pepper if desired, and serve immediately.
Notes
The ranch dressing tastes best when made ahead of time. You can prepare it the night before.
If you are short on time, you can skip the homemade dressing and use a premade one.
Add extra buttermilk if you prefer a thinner dressing consistency.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 0 mins
- Category: Salad
- Method: Tossed
- Cuisine: American