Spinach Avocado Salad (with 3 Minute Dressing!)

Updated: Jun 16, 2026 · Written by Danielle · This post may contain affiliate links, which means that we may receive a commission if you make a purchase after clicking on the link. Please see our terms for more information.

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This simple Spinach Avocado Salad is fresh, flavorful, and far from boring! With tender baby spinach, creamy avocado, tart cranberries, and crunchy almonds, every bite is a perfect mix of textures and tastes. Drizzle it with a quick 3-minute white balsamic dressing, and you've got a side dish you'll want to make again and again!

It's so easy to eat more leafy greens when they're packed with flavor and layered with tasty toppings! Explore our whole collection of Vegetable Side Dish Recipes that will keep things fresh and exciting all year long!

A serving of spinach avocado salad in a large white bowl.

We're on a mission to make sure our salads are anything but boring. They have to have bold flavors and fun textures in every bite! This one totally delivers. It's a year-round chameleon that works with just about any meal, and it's super simple thanks to a quick 3-minute dressing.

While this simple, fresh salad is great any night of the week, even for Sunday dinner, it also makes a super easy addition to your Easter recipes or Thanksgiving recipes. We have tasty salad recipes for every occasion!

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Why this recipe made the cut
Ingredients for avocado spinach salad
Helpful kitchen tools
How to make spinach avocado salad recipe
Variations and substitutions
What to serve with avocado spinach salad
FAQs
Tips & tricks
More recipes
Recipe
Comments

Why this recipe made the cut

Every recipe on Borrowed Bites gets tested, re-tested, and tasted by multiple groups to ensure it's something you can be proud to serve! Here's why this one earned its spot:

Very little chopping: Just mince the onion and you're done. The rest is just tossing stuff together-gotta love a low-effort, high-reward kind of recipe.
3-minute dressing: Toss a few ingredients in a jar and shake! That's it!
All the textures: Creamy avocado, crunchy almonds, tangy dressing, and chewy cranberries. Every bite has something going on.

So yummy! Love the dressing.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Char

Ingredients for avocado spinach salad

This recipe only needs a few ingredients! All the quantities are in the recipe card below, but here are a few noteworthy tips.

Almonds, two avocados, spinach, cranberries, a red onion, salt, olive oil, poppy seeds, ground mustard, balsamic vinegar, and sugar on a white surface.

Fresh baby spinach leaves: Mild and tender spinach soaks up all the flavor around it. Basically the perfect base for everything else to shine.
Avocado: Rich, creamy, and super mellow. Total texture powerhouse.
Almonds: Adds some crunch and earthy flavor.
Cranberries: Dried cranberries are pretty, a little bit sweet and a little bit tart.
Dressing: Quick, simple, and crazy good: light olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, poppy seeds, mustard powder, red onion, sugar, and kosher salt (sea salt also works). That's it. So easy, so tasty.

Helpful kitchen tools

How to make spinach avocado salad recipe

Preheat oven to 325ºF. Spread almonds out evenly on a sheet pan. Bake in the oven for 5-8 minutes. Keep an eye on them - you want that perfect golden brown color and a toasty, nutty aroma.

A glass mixing bowl of salad dressing with a whisk.

Combine the olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, minced onion, poppy seeds, ground mustard, salt, and sugar in a small bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined.

Alternatively, toss the dressing ingredients in a jar and shake vigorously until the sugar is dissolved.

A salad bowl full of spinach with an array of toppings surrounding it.

Before serving, wash the fresh spinach in cold water. We love this salad spinner. Dry thoroughly.

Place the spinach leaves in a large bowl. Scatter the toasted nuts, cranberries, and ripe avocado slices across the top.

A white dish of spinach avocado salad topped with almonds.

Once the ingredients are in the bowl, toss with the dressing and serve. Be sure to dress just before serving. The dressing will cause the spinach to wilt if it sits too long.

Hint: Since avocado tends to brown quickly, it's best to wait and cut it right at the last minute. That way, it stays fresh, creamy, and pretty for serving

Variations and substitutions

In place of cranberries, try dried blueberries or cherries. If they are a little large you might want to run your knife through them a time or two to get them bite size.
Instead of almonds, try these pecans with maple syrup. A bit more work, but so delicious! Or try roasted pistachios or pine nuts for a fun spin.
Try adding in some fresh herbs like cilantro, chives, or basil.

What to serve with avocado spinach salad

This salad is versatile enough to be served with almost anything, but would be especially delicious with:

A bowl of salad with avocado slices and dressing on top.

FAQs

Can this salad be made ahead?

Yes! Most of this simple spinach salad can be prepped ahead. The dressing can be made and stored in the refrigerator up to two weeks in advance. The nuts can be toasted and stored in an airtight container at room temperature. The only part that must be done at the last minute is the buttery xavocado.

Can I use regular balsamic vinegar instead of the white balsamic?

While typically dark balsamic vinegar is great in many salad dressing recipes, in this case, the mellow flavor of white is necessary. A flavored white balsamic would be quite delicious if you have some on hand.

Close-up of spinach salad drizzled with dressing.

Tips & tricks

Since avocado tends to brown quickly, it's best to wait and cut it right at the last minute.
Don't skip toasting the nuts! It really does bring out the flavor and texture in the almonds.
Feel free to make the dressing up to two weeks ahead. Store in an airtight container or a jar in the refrigerator.