This is a no-cook salad built on baby spinach with blueberries, strawberries, chickpeas, avocado, cucumber, red cabbage, red onion, raisins, and roasted sunflower seeds. It comes together in 10 minutes and works as a standalone lunch or a side. The ingredient list looks long, but most of it is pantry or fridge staples you likely already have.
What makes this version work
Two things keep this salad from feeling like a random pile of ingredients. First, the sunflower seeds and red cabbage are doing real structural work โ they stay crunchy against the soft avocado and juicy berries, so every forkful has contrast. Second, the chickpeas add enough bulk and protein that this actually holds you through a workday lunch without needing anything else. The key is making sure the chickpeas are properly drained and patted dry before they go in; wet chickpeas water down whatever dressing you use and make the spinach soggy faster than anything else in this bowl.
If something goes sideways
- The spinach wilts before you eat: Spinach collapses quickly once dressed. Dress it at the table โ a pre-dressed salad goes limp fast. If youโre packing this for lunch, keep the dressing in a separate container.
- No blueberries available: Frozen blueberries thaw into mush here. Use fresh only, or swap in halved grapes or pomegranate seeds โ both hold their shape and give you the same sweet-tart contrast.
- Avocado browns by lunchtime: Toss the chopped avocado in a small squeeze of lemon or lime juice before adding it to the bowl. It wonโt stay perfect, but it slows browning noticeably.
- The salad tastes flat: This usually means it needs salt. The recipe uses low-sodium chickpeas and unsalted produce, so a pinch of flaky salt over the finished bowl makes a real difference. The sunflower seeds are salted, but thatโs not enough on its own.
- No red cabbage on hand: Shredded green cabbage or even thinly sliced radishes work fine. You want something with crunch and a mild bite to balance the sweet fruit.
Leftovers and meal prep
If you want to prep this ahead, store the components in separate containers and assemble just before eating. The spinach, cabbage, cucumber, and chickpeas hold well together undressed in the fridge for up to two days. Keep the avocado separate and cut it fresh, or store it with the pit in an airtight container with a little lemon juice on top. The berries are fine in the fridge for a day but start to break down by day two. Once the whole salad is assembled and dressed, plan to eat it within an hour โ after that the spinach softens and the berries start to bleed into everything.
Blueberry Spinach Salad with Chickpeas & Avocado
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Salad spinner or clean kitchen towels
- Sharp Chefโs Knife
- Cutting board
- Can opener
- Paper towels (for drying chickpeas)
Ingredients
- 4 cups baby spinach 120g
- ยฝ cup cucumber sliced into half-moons, 65g
- ยฝ cup strawberries hulled and quartered, 75g
- ยฝ cup chickpeas canned, low-sodium, rinsed and drained, 80g
- ยผ cup red cabbage finely shredded, 20g
- ยผ cup fresh blueberries 35g
- 2 tablespoons red onion finely chopped, 15g
- ยฝ medium avocado chopped, about 70g
- 2 tablespoons raisins 18g
- 2 tablespoons roasted and salted sunflower seeds 16g
- salad dressing of choice lemon vinaigrette or light balsamic recommended
Instructions
- Divide the baby spinach evenly between two large bowls or meal-prep containers.4 cups baby spinach
- Arrange the sliced cucumber, shredded red cabbage, and chopped red onion over the spinach.1/2 cup cucumber, 1/4 cup red cabbage, 2 tablespoons red onion
- Add the chickpeas (make sure they are well drained and patted dry with paper towels).1/2 cup chickpeas
- Scatter the strawberries, blueberries, and raisins over the salad.1/2 cup strawberries, 1/4 cup fresh blueberries, 2 tablespoons raisins
- Top with the chopped avocado and roasted sunflower seeds.1/2 medium avocado, 2 tablespoons roasted and salted sunflower seeds
- Drizzle with your preferred dressing โ a simple lemon vinaigrette or light balsamic works best. Toss gently and serve immediately.salad dressing of choice
Notes
Nutrition
Your questions, answered
What dressing works best with this salad?
A simple lemon vinaigrette or a light balsamic dressing both work well. You want something acidic and fairly thin โ a heavy, creamy dressing will weigh down the spinach and compete with the fruit.
Can I use frozen blueberries?
No โ frozen blueberries thaw into soft, leaky fruit that turns the whole salad purple and mushy. Stick with fresh, or substitute another fresh fruit like halved grapes or pomegranate arils.
Can I swap the chickpeas for something else?
Yes. Canned white beans (cannellini) work as a direct swap and have a similar mild flavor. Edamame is another good option if you want to keep the protein level roughly the same.
Is this filling enough as a main meal?
For most people, yes โ the chickpeas, avocado, and sunflower seeds together give you enough fat and protein to make it a real lunch. If youโre particularly hungry, adding a slice of whole-grain bread on the side rounds it out.
Can I leave out the raisins?
Absolutely. The raisins add a concentrated sweetness and a chewy texture, but the salad works fine without them. Dried cranberries or chopped dried apricots are easy swaps if you have them.
My avocado isnโt ripe yet โ can I still make this?
You can skip it or replace it with something else creamy, like a few thin slices of brie or a small handful of pumpkin seeds for richness. An unripe avocado is hard and bitter and wonโt add anything useful here.