There’s nothing like a Big, Colorful Spinach and Arugula Salad to make you feel good! We’re told to eat the rainbow, and you will be with this Salad. The addition of Roasted Beets and Quail Eggs round it out. Don’t forget the dressing, I made a Balsamic Basil Vinaigrette to serve with it.
Salad with Spinach and Arugula is nutritious and delicious, scroll down to see how densely packed nutrition wise, this Salad is! Also included in this post is an opportunity to get to know the ingredients and how different variations in the ingredients alter the appearance, and flavor of the Salad.
What is Spinach?
Spinach is a leafy green vegetable known for its nutritional benefits and versatility in cooking. It has a delicate slightly earthy, vegetative taste. Spinach can be eaten raw as with salads or smoothies or cooked into soups, stews, quiches, pastas, curries and casseroles. It is sold fresh in plastic packaged bags or boxes, frozen (great for making spinach dip with) and even canned (in tins).
It’s packed with vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A, C, and K, iron, calcium, and folate. It’s low in calories and high in antioxidants. The vitamin C content is destroyed by heat, so raw Spinach is the best way to consume it. Folate levels also decrease, as folate tends to leach into cooking liquid. When making soup this is fine, but if cooking spinach as a side dish, where the cooking liquid is discarded, then it’s a problem.
Raw spinach is mostly water with a few carbs, dietary fiber and grams of protein thrown in. In addition to the vitamins and mineral mentioned above, Spinach contains manganese, and a moderate supply of B vitamins – riboflavin and B6, vitamin E, potassium, and magnesium.
What is Arugula?
Arugula, has many similar characteristics to Spinach. Arugula is also a leafy green vegetable. Its leaves are longer and slightly jagged edged. It has a distinctive, pungent peppery flavor, that works well in salads. Arugula has been a culinary ingredient since Roman times. It is a versatile ingredient, added to pasta dishes, served with cold meats and cooked fish, as a pizza topping, and as a lettuce of choice in sandwiches.
Arugula is rich in vitamins A, C, and K, and it also contains antioxidants and minerals like calcium and potassium. Like Spinach it is rich in folate, vitamin K, vitamin C, magnesium, manganese and potassium. If growing Arugula in your own garden or vegetable patch, the flowers, young seed pods, and mature seeds are all edible. Supermarkets tend to only sell the leaves.
What is the difference between rocket salad and Arugula? Great question! It’s the same thing! Rocket is the term favored by British people and Australians. The term “rocket” comes from the Italian word “rucola.”
So when asked are Spinach and Arugula healthy? – the short answer is a resounding – YES!
Variations of this Rocket and Spinach Salad Recipe
Use the basic recipe for this Salad, but delete the Beets and Eggs and add the following ingredients to make these delicious Arugula and Spinach Salad recipes:
- Fresh watermelon and feta Spinach and Arugula Salad.
- Apple and avocado Spinach and Arugula Salad.
- Cranberry walnut Spinach and Arugula Salad.
- Steak and eggs Spinach and Arugula Salad.
- Add watercress for an additional leaf to the Salad.
- Add strawberries to the Spinach and Arugula Salad and make a vinaigrette from Strawberry Top Vinegar.
- Make a 7 layer Spinach Salad using some of the ingredients mentioned above, layering them with Salad leaves.
Dressing for Spinach and Arugula Salad
There are numerous choices of Salad dressings that will complement this Spinach and Arugula Salad. My favorite one is this 5 minute, homemade Basil Balsamic Dressing. A citrus vinaigrette like this Orange Ginger Vinaigrette is also a match for this Salad.
If you prefer a creamier dressing, then I recommend this Crème Fraîche Dressing or a Chunky Blue Cheese Dressing.
Ingredients for Spinach and Arugula Salad
- Spinach: fresh, preferably organic.
- Arugula: (rocket) also fresh, preferably organic.
- Beets: roasted, use this recipe.
- Quail Eggs: boiled, peeled and halved. To learn how to do this, see this post.
- Red onion.
- Dressing: Homemade Basil Balsamic Dressing.
- Garnish: (not featured) I used fresh chamomile and chive flowers and stems.
How to Make This Baby Spinach and Arugula Salad
This easy Spinach and Arugula Salad is a layered Salad. Make this Salad in advance if desired. Placing the ingredients on the platter one at a time preserves the integrity of the ingredients. This layered Salad will have you wanting to prepare and serve more salads.
Peel and slice the red onion.
Layer the bottom of a large platter / plate or bowl with about a third of the quantity of Arugula.
Then add a third of the quantity of Spinach.
Then disperse some of the roasted beets over the greens.
Now sprinkle on some of the sliced red onions.
Repeat this layering process two more times with the remaining ingredients.
A Tip From Me
When making a Salad, do not add the ingredients, pour over the dressing and then mix. This causes the leaves to break. Decomposition starts with broken leaves with the result being wilted, slimy greens.
Instead, copy the method above and layer the greens and other ingredients. Salad dressing is poured over just before the Salad is eaten.
Fresh and Tasty Additional Salad Recipes
Got Questions?
I’ve got answers – hopefully!
Avoid buying salad in bags. Bags of Spinach risk being misted in the grocery store. Instead buy Spinach and Arugula in the sealed plastic containers. These containers are typically made from recycled plastic. The Spinach leaves are washed as many as 3 times. To extend the life of the leaves, empty the salad into a bowl, line the plastic container with absorbent kitchen paper and return the leaves to the box. Discard any that appear to be slimy, wilted or decomposing. The absorbent kitchen towel will absorb any moisture within the container.
Each Salad is sold by itself. It’s for the best as these Salad greens deteriorate at a different rate with Spinach lasting longer than Arugula.
Big Colorful Spinach and Arugula Salad
Ingredients
- 2 oz fresh spinach
- 2 oz fresh arugula
- 8 quail eggs
- 2 lbs roasted beets about 3 medium sized beets
- ¼ red onion
Instructions
- Peel and slice the red onion.
- Layer the bottom of a large platter / plate or bowl with about a third of the quantity of Arugula.
- Then add a third of the quantity of Spinach.
- Then disperse some of the roasted beets over the greens.
- Now sprinkle on some of the sliced red onions.
- Repeat this layering process two more times with the remaining ingredients.
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