Name: Arugula Spinach Salad with Chicken and Lemon Vinaigrette
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 cups baby spinach; 2 cups baby arugula; 1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced; 12 ounces cooked chicken, thinly sliced or shredded*; 1/4 cup olive oil; 2 tablespoons lemon juice; 2 teaspoons of everything but the bagel seasoning

Arugula Spinach Salad is loaded up with peppery arugula, tender spinach and thinly sliced onions all tossed with a punchy vinaigrette! Simple ingredients and only 10 minutes prep time make this the perfect (and healthy) Summer salad!

Arugula Spinach Salad with Chicken and Lemon Vinaigrette in a white china serving bowl.

The combination of spinach, arugula and lemon vinaigrette is my new favorite salad. Homemade salad dressing was intimidating to me, but it couldn't be easier and it had so much flavor!

- Gina K.

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Ingredients
Instructions
Top Tip For Arugula Spinach Salad
Substitutions
Variations
Storage
Equipment
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Recipe
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Bailey's Thoughts ....

Bailey standing in a white kitchen pouring a smoothie out of a blender and into a glass.

Arugula Spinach salad is the salad of my dreams. Fairly basic, it's the white t-shirt of salad, it complements just about everything. Dress it up (with grilled chicken + extra veggies) or dress it down (arugula + spinach + dressing), eat it as a main course or as a side dish accompanying 17 other things.

The recipe is pretty flexible as long as you have the three main components: leafy greens, crunchy thin sliced veggies and the lemon vinaigrette dressing. Use what you love and have on hand.

For optimal results, dress right before eating. For those who don't love raw onion, you can soak them in cold water for a few minutes to lose some of the bite, or cut the amount that you use in half. Simple on purpose, this salad is meant to provide crunch, texture, acidity and freshness where it's needed.

-Bailey

Ingredients

Leafy Greens - Fresh baby spinach and baby arugula are my go-to greens for this salad, but chopped Romaine lettuce would be tasty as well
Red Onion - spicier than yellow onions when raw, this ingredient adds a kick, make sure to slice VERY thin
Rotisserie Chicken - in my opinion, this is the easiest option but leftover chicken you have on hand is perfect as well
Olive Oil - quality is important here since the vinaigrette is made of so few ingredients
Lemon Juice - opt for the juice from a fresh lemon, skip on pre-squeezed bottled lemon juice
Everything But The Bagel Seasoning - I typically purchase this spice at Trader Joe's most grocery store's have this as an option in the spice aisle

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Step 1: Arugula Spinach Salad. Add arugula, spinach and onion to a large bowl.

Combine baby arugula, baby spinach and thinly sliced onions in a large mixing bowl.

Step 2: Arugula Spinach Salad. Add chicken to the bowl.

To the same large bowl, add sliced, diced or shredded cooked chicken.

Step 3: Arugula Spinach Salad. Make dressing with olive oil, lemon and bagel seasoning.

Make the dressing by combining olive oil, lemon juice and bagel seasoning in a small bowl. Whisk well.

Step 4: Arugula Spinach Salad. Toss all ingredients together and place in serving bowl.

Top the salad with the desired amount of dressing and toss to coat. Taste and adjust with salt and black pepper as needed.

Top Tip For Arugula Spinach Salad

Use a mandoline to thinly chop your onions. You can get through cutting faster, so you're less likely to experience tears. Added bonus ... it makes perfect thin slices!

Substitutions

Baby Spinach and Arugula - purchasing a "baby spring mix" of lettuce greens is an easy substitution that still tastes great
Lemon - if you don't have a fresh lemon on hand, sub balsamic vinegar at a 1:1 ratio
Chicken - any protein you love will work for this salad - shrimp, tuna, turkey and even steak would all be great options

Variations

Low Calorie - To reduce calories, use an olive oil spray to lightly mist the greens before adding a squeeze of lemon and topping with nothing but the bagel seasoning.
Vegan/Vegetarian - Skip the chicken and add extra veggies like avocado, tomato, cucumber and olives
Deluxe - add some feta cheese, sunflower seeds, apple slices or fresh strawberries for a fun twist on this simple salad

Storage

Having healthy salads made with fresh ingredients prepped on ready to go is one of my favorite weeknight meal or light lunch hacks.

This salad is best served freshly dressed. If you want to make it in advance, store the assembled salad and the prepared salad dressing separately in the refrigerator.

The greens and veggies topped with a damp paper towel will stay fresh for 2-3 days in an airtight container.

The salad dressing is good for up to 1 week when covered and refrigerated. It contains olive oil, so will solidify. Allow it to come to room temperature on the counter and then whisk until emulsified.

Equipment

Links below may be affiliate links. This means that should you choose to purchase, I will receive a small commission.

OXO Good Grips Complete Grate and Slice Set - This is the newer version of the Mandoline slicer that I have used for 15 years. I love that the set stores as 1 unit and doesn't take up much space.

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Recipe