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shot of a plate of Baby Spinach Citrus Salad with Lime Poppy Seed Dressing

Spinach Citrus Salad with Lime Poppy Seed Vinaigrette

Course: Midday
Cuisine: North American
Keyword: citrus, lime poppy seed dressing, salad, spinach
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 6 minutes
Total Time: 16 minutes
Servings: 2 generous servings
Author: Marta Rivera
Make the dressing up to one week in advance and store in the fridge. 
Print Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper plus more to taste
  • pinch cayenne pepper optional
  • 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
  • 2-4 large eggs, boiled according to your preference (1-2 eggs per serving)
  • 6 ounce bag spinach leaves
  • 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 ruby red grapefruit, peeled and sliced see note for more options
  • 2 blood oranges, peeled and sliced see note for more options
  • 2 sprigs fresh mint, leaves removed and roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Instructions

Prepare the Lime Poppy Seed Dressing

  • In a jar that has a screw-top lid (like a mason jar) combine the poppy seeds, salt and both peppers. 
  • Add the olive oil, lime juice, honey and the dijon mustard to the jar and screw the top on tightly. Give the jar a vigorous shake to emulsify the dressing.
  • Set the dressing aside while you make the salad, or store it in the refrigerator for one week.

Boil the Eggs

  • In a saucepan, begin heating the water for boiling your eggs over medium-high heat.
  • Once the water for your eggs comes to a boil, place them into the water gently and boil for: 6 minutes (soft-boiled), 10 minutes (medium), or 14 minutes (hard).
  • Once they eggs have finished boiling, drain the hot water and fill the pan with ice water to stop the eggs from cooking further. Peel and set them aside until you're ready to serve the salad.

Assemble the Salad

  • Give the dressing another vigorous shake and pour a few tablespoons of it into the bottom of a large salad bowl. Add the spinach to the bowl and cover with an additional tablespoon, or two, of dressing. Use a pair of salad tongs to coat the spinach completely in the dressing.
  • Spoon about 2 cups of spinach leaves onto your plate. Top each serving with slices from 1/2 of the grapefruit, as well as slices from one blood orange. Finish topping each salad with a handful of red onion slices, a 1/4 cup of crumbled feta cheese, and a generous pinch of the torn mint leaves. 
  • Spoon more of the lime poppy seed dressing over the fruits and cheese, if desired, and top the salad with your soft-boiled egg- cut in half.
  • Serve immediately after assembling and enjoy! 

Notes

Alternate the Citrus you use (no more than three):
  • kumquats (unpeeled)
  • cara cara orange
  • white (or yellow) grapefruit
  • pomelo
  • Buddha's hand (thinly sliced, unpeeled)
  • sweet lime
For Meal Prep: keep the citrus slices separate from the spinach, just top the spinach with the onion and cheese prior to leaving for work or school. Right before serving, shake the lime poppy seed dressing and pour onto the spinach. Give the greens a quick toss before topping with the citrus and the egg.