Salad has not been on my list of everyday foods right now. I have been craving lots of things, but vegetables just aren't one of them. I'm hoping my regular love of all things healthy comes back in the next couple of weeks, and in the mean time I have been tricking my brain by putting vegetables into sauces, smoothies, and sometimes forcing myself to eat them for the sake of the baby. However, my strawberry and avocado salad happens to be the one salad that I don't have to choke down and that actually taste amazing to me. This salad is so healthy and easy and the flavor combinations are just right.
You can top it with grilled chicken or salmon and even your picky eaters will approve of this healthy weeknight dinner. There is something about the savory and sweet when you get a bite of the strawberries with the tangy vinaigrette that just makes this salad so dang good until the last bite.
You can't really get much healthier with omega-3 rich walnuts, healthy avocado, vitamin C rich strawberries, and leafy greens full of good for you vitamins! It's a pregnant woman's ultimate salad, but honestly everyone can benefit from a salad or two like this in their diet.
I'll be eating this one a couple of times a week since my tummy approves and I can feel better about eating that burger and fries that I crave too often! (no judging)
Ingredients:
Salad-
2 Cup of Spinach
2 Cups of Mixed Lettuces (I just used a Spring Mix)
1/2 Cup of Toasted Walnuts (Heat a pan to medium heat and toast walnuts until they are slightly toasted and you begin the smell the nuts. Watch carefully and stir a few times to prevent burning.)
1 Avocado, diced
1 Cup of Strawberries, washed and quartered
1/4 Red Onion, Sliced Thinly
Vinaigrette-
1/4 Cup of White Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tbsp. Honey
1 Tsp. Mustard (Dry or Dijon work great here too)
1 Clove of Garlic, minced finely
1/4 Cup of Good Quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Directions:
Combine vinaigrette ingredients and set aside. You can save any extra vinaigrette in the fridge for up to two weeks.
Mix your spinach and spring mix together, layer your strawberries, avocado, red onion, and walnuts onto greens.
Drizzle dressing onto salad right before serving.
*You can also add goat cheese here if you want, but I can't have soft cheeses right now so I left cheese out.
It's a gorgeous salad for entertaining, but easy enough to whip up in fifteen minutes for yourself! There are no excuses not to eat healthy with a salad as easy and tasty as this one!
