Spinach Salad With Herb Dressing

This salad of crisp green beans, fresh spinach and a few chopped veggies is drizzled with a simple, homemade herb vinaigrette for an unexpectedly delicious combination of flavors packed with nutrients that make a perimenopausal body happy. It works beautifully as a vegetarian lunch or a vibrant side to proteins such as rotisserie chicken or grilled shrimp.

Simple, hormone-friendly recipes are just one part of what I do here at Finding My Fierce. If you’re a woman over 40 and want to learn about rebel wellness, feral confidence, perimenopause and reducing overwhelm, start here 

Ingredients

(see printable recipe card down below)

SERVINGS: 4

• ½ lb (225 g) fresh green beans

• 1 cup (145 g) peas, fresh or frozen

• 3 tbsp (45 ml) olive oil

• ½ cup (80 g) red onion, finely chopped

• 1 jalapeño or serrano chile (14 g), seeded and minced

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 1 tbsp (5 ml) lemon juice

• 1 tsp (3 g) mustard

• 1 tbsp (4 g) chopped fresh tarragon

• 1 tbsp (4 g) chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

• 1 cup (30 g) spinach leaves

Swaps and enhancements for hormone health and insulin resistance:

• perimenopausal bodies need a lot of protein. Add: 1 soft-boiled egg, canned tuna in water, rotisserie chicken, baked fish, or grilled shrimp to help hit your protein targets

How to Make This

1. In a large sauce pan over medium high heat, bring about 3/4 full of water to a boil.

2. Meanwhile, while the water boils, prepare a large bowl of ice water.

3. Add the green beans to the pot of boiling water and blanch until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes.

4. Add the peas to the water and continue to cook 1-minute. Quickly scoop out the beans and peas with a strainer and immerse them in the ice water bath for 5 minutes to stop them from cooking. Drain in a colander and return to the bowl.

5. Add the red onion, chile, garlic, lemon juice, tarragon, and parsley to the bowl and stir to mix well.

6. Season to taste with salt. Gently fold in the spinach leaves and serve.

Before You Go

This recipe came out of the same place where I write the rest of this blog: in a vintage RV parked in the woods next to a river, where I write about rebel wellness, fierce confidence, simple living and hormone friendly meals for women over 40 in perimenopause and menopause. If you’re interested to learn more about these topics, read my story  or start here .

If this made meal time a little easier, leave a comment below or a review on the recipe card. Tell me what you swapped or what you added.

Melissa

Recipe adapted from Salad of the Day: 365 Recipes for Every Day of the Year (Williams-Sonoma)

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Green Bean Spinach Salad

Servings: 4

Author: Melissa

If you’re looking for a new side dish or salad to add to your meal rotation, you need to give this Green Bean Spinach Salad with Herb Dressing a go. Drizzle a simple, homemade herb vinaigrette over a bed of crisp green beans, fresh spinach and a few chopped veggies for an unexpectedly delicious combination of flavors packed with healthy good stuff.

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Ingredients

• ½ lb fresh green beans
• 1 cup peas
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
• ½ cup red onion, finely chopped
• 1 jalapeño or serrano chile, seeded and minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Grated zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 cup spinach leaves

Instructions

1. In a large sauce pan over medium high heat, bring about 3/4 full of water to a boil.
2. Meanwhile, while the water boils, prepare a large bowl of ice water.
3. Add the green beans to the pot of boiling water and cook until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes.
4. Add the peas to the water and continue to cook 1-minute. Quickly scoop out the beans and peas with a strainer and immerse them in the ice water bath to stop them from cooking. Set aside to drain in the colander.
5. In the same saucepan over low heat, warm the oil with the mustard seeds until the seeds begin to pop. Remove them from the saucepan and put them in the bowl you used to for the ice water bath. Add the green beans and peas, red onion, chile, garlic, lemon zest, tarragon, and parsley to the bowl and stir to mix well.
6. Season to taste with salt. Just before serving, gently fold in the spinach leaves.

Notes

Variations and Tips

To keep the salad at optimal crunchiness, wait to add the spinach until just before serving. You can sub kale for the spinach, but keep in mind it’s a tougher green and will make the salad chewier, which you get enough of from the green beans, in my opinion. I tried it with kale and I felt like I chewed like a cow. You’re call! 🙆🏻‍♀️

Nutrition Facts

Calories

158

Fat (grams)

11 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

2 g

Fiber (grams)

5 g

Net carbs

8 g

Sugar (grams)

5 g

Protein (grams)

4 g

Sodium (milligrams)

62 mg

Vitamin D

0 µg

Vitamin E

2 mg

Calcium

62 mg

Magnesium

41 mg

Vitamin B12

0 µg

Vitamin C

30 mg

Potassium

334 mg

Nutrition info provided as a courtesy and basic guideline.  The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. View Nutrition Disclosure

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https://findingmyfierce.com/blog/green-bean-salad-herb-dressing

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