This Beet, Feta & Avocado Spinach Salad is a fresh, healthy choice for warm-weather meals. It highlights homemade beets—cooked simply in an Instant Pot—paired with creamy avocado, salty feta, crunchy almonds, and a bright sweet-ginger dressing. If you dislike canned beets because of their packing liquid, you’ll appreciate how easy and flavorful fresh, pressure-cooked beets can be. Below you’ll find the benefits of beets, step-by-step preparation, and the full recipe so you can make this vibrant salad at home.
Health benefits of beets
- May help lower blood pressure
- Can support heart health
- May improve stamina and exercise performance
- May support cognitive function
- Supports liver function and detoxification
- Contains nutrients that may help fight chronic disease
If you’re unsure about cooking beets from scratch, an Instant Pot makes it fast and hands-off. The beets peel easily after pressure cooking, and the color and flavor are far superior to canned beets. There’s also a short video demonstration available to see the process in action.
Beet, Feta & Avocado Spinach Salad with Sweet Ginger Dressing
Yields 4 servings
Ingredients
- 4 cups fresh spinach
- 3 beets (cooked, peeled, and quartered)
- 1 avocado, cubed
- 1 cup raw almonds
- 1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
- 1 (8 ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained
- Optional: 2 cups cooked spaghetti noodles (cooled)
Sweet Ginger Dressing
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup rice vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons Mrs. Dash seasoning
How to prepare the beets
Trim the stems and roots, then wash the beets well. Place them in the Instant Pot with 1/2 cup water. Seal and cook on high pressure for 12 minutes. When finished, allow a quick release, remove the beets, and let them cool slightly. The skins will slip off easily—use gloves if you prefer to avoid staining your hands. Quarter the beets into bite-sized pieces for the salad.
To assemble the salad
Combine the spinach, quartered beets, cubed avocado, almonds, feta, drained mandarin oranges, and optional spaghetti in a large bowl. Toss gently to mix. Drizzle with the sweet ginger dressing and serve immediately.
To make the dressing
Whisk together the canola oil, sugar, rice vinegar, black pepper, ground ginger, and Mrs. Dash seasoning in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves. Transfer the dressing to an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use. Shake or stir before serving.
