It’s officially the first day of spring! We made it through the long winter. This morning, my daughter woke up, ran to the living room, opened up the curtains and proclaimed, “SPRING IS HERE!” She then proceeded to ask her daddy where all the green grass and flowers were. I’m with you, darling Abby, I also wish spring was magically in full bloom today however, we still have a little ways to go.

We are closer than ever to warmer weather, and I can’t wait to see beautiful, bright tulips spring up. I can feel the shift happening already, especially because I’m craving more salads. This always happens. During the colder months, I am not as inclined to want a crispy, juicy salad. I’m more likely to make a vegetable soup. However, the past two weeks have me thinking of lots of different spring salads I’d like to make which is how I know the tide has turned and winter is definitely behind us.

This deliciously sweet and zesty clementine spinach salad is bursting with flavour, tanginess, and crunch. It’s got all the components I love in a salad! Clementines are still very much in season around here. They’re wonderfully aromatic and a delectable addition to salads.

For this salad, I began with a bed of baby spinach, then added sliced avocado, clementines, chopped pecans, and dried cranberries. Then I topped it off with a citrusy dressing. That glossy look to the spinach leaves is thanks to a good amount of freshly squeeze lemon juice. It gives the salad a perfect balance between sweet and acidic.

As with all salads, feel free to swap out ingredients, add extra ones, or more dressing (or less). It’s all about your personal taste and what gets your palate excited to dig into YOUR salad! This recipe makes just enough for 4 side salads, or 2 entree portions. My husband and I shared this for lunch the other day and we ate it all up!

Clementine Spinach Salad

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Author: Emily Smith

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Description

A sweet and zesty spring salad full of flavour and crunch.

Ingredients

Scale

4 cups baby spinach
1 cup clementines, peeled and divided (around 3 clementines)
1 avocado, halved and sliced into quarters
1/3 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup dried cranberries

For the dressing

4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 Tbsp honey
1/4 tsp fine sea salt

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Instructions

Wash and prepare all your ingredients.
In a medium-size salad bowl, add baby spinach, avocados, clementines, pecans, and dried cranberries. Prepare the dressing in a small dish. Pour over salad and toss until coated. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Makes 2 entree salads or 4 side salads.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 4

If you’re looking for more salad inspiration, you might want to check out these other tasty recipes: Springtime Pasta Salad with Radicchio + Goat’s Cheese, Bibb Salad with Radishes and Asparagus, and Raspberry Pear Spinach Salad. Yum!

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Author
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Emily Smith

Emily Smith, Editor of The Best of This Life, has been crafting lifestyle content and delicious recipes for over a decade. Featured on platforms like BRIT + CO, Today's Parent, and Chatelaine, she writes about family, food, home, and wellness, inspiring readers to live well and savour life's beauty. Based in Ottawa, she shares her adventures with her husband, two beautiful kids, and their mischievous cat, Zoro.

Sweet and Zesty Clementine Spinach Salad For Spring