I wasn’t a salad lover until I tried this recipe.
Reviewed by Dietitian Christa Brown, M.S., RDN, LD
Key Points
- It’s easy to make with only five ingredients, plus you can prep it for a week of lunches.
- The ingredients help support the immune system and are anti-inflammatory.
- Customize it however you like, and change the dressing for a different flavor.
When it comes to lunch, I’ve always been a sandwich-over-salad person. I even used to tell people if I had to eat only one food for the rest of my life, it’d be a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Grilled cheese, wraps, veggie sandwiches, you name it—it’s all up my alley, and I never thought that a salad would give me the same satisfaction.
So had you told me that my go-to lunch would be a spinach salad, I probably would have laughed at the thought. But ever since this EatingWell recipe debuted, I’ve eaten it almost every day for lunch—and I actually look forward to it.
So what’s the five-ingredient lunch that made me fall in love with salad? It’s our Fall Chopped Salad with Spinach, Butternut Squash, Apples & Cheddar—with just a few tweaks. To keep it simple, I omit the butternut squash and use my favorite premade or store-bought dressing (I think BRIANNAs Homestyle Creamy Balsamic Dressing goes great on this!).
All it took was these five ingredients to have me craving salad every day: baby spinach, a Gala apple, sharp Cheddar cheese, a flavorful dressing, and pecans—or really any nut will do. I sometimes prefer shaved almonds. Occasionally, I’ll add a few croutons if I’m in the mood for more crunch, but that’s definitely optional.
With my tweaks, this salad is even easier to prepare. All you have to do is chop up your apple and cheese into bite-sized pieces before combining your ingredients. If you plan to meal prep your lunch the night before, keeping the ingredients separate until you’re ready to eat will help them stay fresh longer. And be sure to keep the dressing on the side until you’re ready to eat to help keep the spinach crisp.
When made as-is, this salad includes a maple balsamic dressing, which perfectly complements the ingredients. You could also go the apple-cider vinaigrette route, or a lemon-tahini dressing would work well, too.
The combination of leafy greens, fiber-rich fruit and protein from the nuts and cheese is what makes this salad the perfect lunch for me. It also follows our recipe parameters for healthy immune function, making it especially fitting to enjoy during cold and flu season. And since each serving provides a cup of leafy greens and a ½ cup of butternut squash—a dark-colored, anti-inflammatory vegetable—this recipe also supports an anti-inflammatory eating pattern.
Even though I leave the butternut squash out, there are definitely ways to include it that don’t involve a lot of time or work. For example, you could buy your squash already peeled and cubed to make it a snap to roast it up. Or check your grocery store’s freezer section for roasted butternut squash that just needs to be thawed (and possibly reheated to remove some of the moisture from it). You could also swap the butternut squash for roasted sweet potato.
To make it more satisfying, customize your salad with ingredients that you know you’ll love. Some ideas include swapping the Cheddar for feta, and adding a sprinkling of pepitas and dried cranberries. Or add leftover chicken or salmon for added protein. With delicious flavors and simple steps—and by making it your own—you’ll be diving into a salad every day just like me.
Frequently asked Questions
Do I have to use baby spinach?
You don’t have to, but it’s best to use baby spinach, and that’s because the leaves are milder, sweeter and easier to chew. If you decide to use a more mature spinach, then remove the stem and cut the leaves into smaller pieces for easier eating.
Do I need to rinse prewashed spinach?
According to the FDAno further washing is necessary if the produce you’re purchasing is in a bag marked as “prewashed” or “ready to eat.” Snip the bag open and let the contents drop into the bowl without it touching any unclean surface or utensil.
What are some good mix-ins?
You can add sliced chicken, hard-boiled egg, a favorite crumbled cheese, toasted nuts like pecans, walnuts or almonds, as well as fresh in-season fruits cut up into bite-sized pieces.