10 Minute Fast Spinach and Arugula Salad
This fresh and flavorful spinach and arugula salad with juicy tomatoes and creamy avocado is perfect when you need to throw together a simple, healthy side dish in a flash! It takes just 10 minutes to make, including the garlicky vinaigrette that makes it easy to eat your greens.
I have to admit, I think of salads more as a main event than a side dish…but sometimes, a meal just needs something MORE and throwing together a fresh and flavourful vegetable side dish is exactly what the situation calls for.
This super fast spinach and arugula salad with juicy tomatoes and creamy avocado is the perfect quick side salad that will help elevate your meal and get those greens into your bod. It’s a plant-based recipe that works well when someone asks you to be in charge of the salad…or, when all you want for lunch is a big bowl of green things and you don’t want to spend more than 10 minutes making it happen.
Because you know this dietitian wants you to eat your greens, anyway you can, whether it’s a green soup, a green juice or a big ol’ salad.
And in case you need even more inspiration to get those plants on your plate, be sure to pick up a copy of Eat More Plants, and “energized” will be your new MO in no time.
Put these ingredients on your shopping list
I envision this spinach and arugula salad two ways: as a side dish for 4 or a quick lunch for 2. If you’ve already got a hearty, main dish, you can use less or no avocado and nix the beans. But, if you’re looking for something to fill you up, the beans are a really good idea and you can add some more avocado too.
- Spinach Arugula Pre-washed Salad Mix: you can usually find this mix in the supermarket, or just blend your own with whatever you’ve got left in the fridge
- Avocado: Use half or whole depending on how filling you want your salad
- Cherry tomatoes: a multicolour tomato mix is nice here if you have it
- Vegan parmesan: a little hit of salt and umami never hurt…buy it, or make your own
- White beans: white beans are high in fibre and plant-based protein, making them a filling instant protein (just rinse and drain and use!)
- Garlic vinaigrette: because this is a simple salad, you want the dressing to bring the flavour. My garlic vinaigrette is super quick to whip up.
How to make this simple spinach and arugula salad
Step 1: Prep time (well, like 3 minutes). Rinse and drain the beans. Halve the cherry tomatoes. Dice or slice the avocado, as you like it. Shake up the garlic vinaigrette.
Step 2: place the spinach and arugula in a salad bowl or platter and toss with a bit of dressing. Top with white beans, tomatoes, and sprinkle the avocado and vegan parmesan.
Step 3: serve spinach and arugula salad with remaining dressing on the side.
Tips, Tricks and Substitutions
- This salad wilts. Dress only right before serving!! Or, if you think there might be leftovers, serve salad undressed with dressing on the side.
- This combination of ingredients and dressing will taste delicious with any salad green, so use whatever you have on hand.
- Want to keep the avocado from going brown? Dice and toss with lemon juice before using!
- To make this a complete meal all on it’s own, you could add some cooked quinoa or farro, homemade croutons, or serve with a slice of sourdough or sprouted grain toast.
Love arugula? You need these arugula recipes
- Simple 10-Minute Red Beet Arugula Salad
- Roasted Delicata Orzo Salad with Arugula
- Italian Farro Salad with Arugula
- Fresh Peach Arugula Salad with Vinaigrette
10 Minute Fast Spinach and Arugula Salad
Ingredients
- 8 cups spinach and arugula salad mix, or a mix of your favourite greens
- 14 oz can white beans, like cannellini, butter or navy beans,drained and rinsed
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½ – 1 avocado, sliced or diced
- ½ cup vegan parmesan
- 1 batch Fresh Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette
Optional, for serving
- 2 cups croutons
Instructions
- Place greens in a salad bowl or platter and dress with ⅓ of the dressing right before serving, top with avocado, beans, tomatoes and parmesan.
- Serve with remaining dressing on the side.
63 Comments on “10 Minute Fast Spinach and Arugula Salad”
This turned out delicious! The Parmesan cheese was a nice touch!
So glad you enjoyed it Debb! Thank you for taking the time to leave a rating, it really helps others find my recipes on Google 🙂
Arugula is so underrated! It’s my fave green by far. This salad looks delicious, as always.
SO underrated!! I mean, any green that can go from salad to pesto to pizza is A-OK in my books
Love greens. Would like info on magnesium and the importance of same
I’ve got to do a magnesium deep dive!!
I really like the almond parmesan, just that little extra flavour.
It’s one of my fave little boosters too!
I love your emails and the recipes. I am on my own so like to look for simple recipes that are nutritious and delicious.
So glad they’re helpful Joyce 🙂
You can never go wrong with Arugula!! My favourite!!
Agreed!!
This sounds delicious! Love that there are beans in it. 🙂 Could you use kale so that it keeps for leftovers?
Heck yes! That would be delicious…because baby arugula and spinach are a disaster for leftovers ha!
Beautiful salad. I’d throw in the roasted pumpkin seeds that I always keep on hand to boost the iron content.
Love that idea Jennifer! And some extra crunch is always a good thing
Looks easy…and yummy! And I’ve been using white beans more this fall and winter, so this is a nice reminder that they’re great in a salad!
They’re so creamy!! Love white beans.
Sounds easy
sometimes, that’s the whole point! Easy means it makes it onto your plate
This looks like a wonderful pantry lunch. We usually have these items on hand. Thanks for the idea! Looking forward to trying it!
Hope you love it, Aubrey!
Great salad. Love it
Thanks Wendy!
Perfect timing – making this tonight! Thank yo.
So glad!! Enjoy Chris
Looks delicious! Can’t wait to try
Enjoy Marg!
Needed this recipe for tonight and you always have the best inspiration for eating more plants.
Yahoo! Dinner side solved 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to leave a rating Lindsay
I’m in love with arugula! Thanks!
Arugula is so dang good…I’m with you!
So good. Made it for lunch.
So glad you enjoyed it!!
Definitely trying this!
Hope you love it, Allison!
Looks delicious.
Would love your book of nutrition and recipes!
Hi Tina!
Thank you so much 🙂
I love arugula! Is there a calorie count for your recipes?
Also, I’m enjoying your podcasts!!
Hi June! I am so glad you are enjoying The Allsorts Podcast! Any fave episodes??
In terms of nutritional information, I avoid it on my recipes so that folks can focus on the types of foods to eat as opposed to their macro counts. If you need nutritionals, there is a great app called Chronometer that is super easy to use. Just add the recipe and the serving size and it will do the work for you!
I’m making this on my Saturday without the kids. Looks good.
Hope you love it, Kristine!
This looks so good! Can’t wait to try! Salads ARE meals! 😄
Heck yes they are!!
Super satisfying salad..love the yummy dressing
so glad you enjoyed it Barbara! Thank you for taking the time to leave a rating, it really helps 🙂
I am just getting into white bean, I feel like they are finally getting the attention they deserve lol. Can’t wait to try this!
I know, no one uses them!! They’ve been a fave for a while because they’re just so mild and creamy (and calcium rich!)
This looks perfect to take to work – will pack the dressing in a jar separately. Thanks!
Have you ever used the jar method? If you add the dressing to the bottom of a large mason jar, pile on the beans, tomatoes and avocados first, adding greens to top, it will help keep the greens fresh.
Looks delicious! And the lemon dijon vinaigrette sounds divine 😊
Arugula is so good, I’ll have to try it with your dressing.
Hope you love it Debra!
LOVE…Love…love a simply delicious salad like this!!
I first fell in love with Arugula in Italy for its nutty flavour.
I didn’t have the Parmesan this time but sprinkled nutritional yeast and it was soooo SCRUMMY!
So glad you liked it Kendra!! Nutritional yeast is a perfect swap 🙂
I’m so happy I’ve found someone who makes colorful meals. I’ve recently worked my way through stage 3 of AIP introductions and am having a hard time finding flavor through simplicity. I feel like I have to make a 5 course meal every day lol But they say food is supposed to be therapeutic, which is why I’m grateful for your newsletters and blog. Really helps me branch out into new combinations. Thanks again!
I am so glad these recipes work for you! Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment and rating, it really helps 🙂
Thanks for posting this recipe. I just bought a humongous bunch of kale so will swap that in.
Let me know how it is with the kale, Naomi!
the dressing sounds so good i can’t wait to try it out. I think i will leave the avocado out and throw on some quinoa or farrow as well as crutons. yummy
Croutons make any salad more fun 🙂
I’m excited about trying the vegan Parmesan cheese with almonds. It’s wonderful to have choices, thank you 😁
It’s such a fun recipe, I just love it!!