This salad is one of our my favourites and it’s delicious! What can I say? Oh, it’s THE salad of the season!

I love to pair this punchy salad with a balance of protein, fats and carbs: well-seasoned, sliced cold grilled steak; smoked meats or fish; a real, proper pate; ripe raw, soft cheeses like Brie de Meaux or Camembert; a pile of well seasoned fresh cheese like cottage; egg-based dishes like omelettes, fritattas and quiches; or baked white or sweet potatoes  – with plenty of raw butter and chopped chives bound with a dollop of home made yoghurt home made yoghurt!

Or even, a little of all of the above – buffet style!  The list is endless…and portable too!

A note on radishes: Radishes come in all sorts of varieties.  I favour an extra hot, peppery red radish like Fakir, the most commonly grown in the UK

A note on raw spinach:  Raw spinach is delicious, but I don’t advise you to eat a huge raw spinach salad regularly.  Spinach is high in oxalic acid which can irritate the mouth and intestinal tract and block calcium absorption.  Over time, this can lead to the formation of kidney stones. For the same reason, I don’t advise drinking raw green juices or smoothies regularly.  If you’re hooked on your daily dose of spinach – cook it, discard the cooking liquid and then use it in your recipe!

Print Recipe

Spinach, Orange and Cucumber Salad - With Watercress and Hot Red Radish

A spicy and refreshingly delicious combo that pairs well with well-seasoned, sliced cold grilled steak; smoked meats or fish; ripe raw, soft cheeses like Brie de Meaux or Camembert; a pile of well seasoned fresh cheese like cottage; egg-based dishes like omelettes, fritattas and quiches; or baked white or sweet potatoes, with plenty of raw butter and chopped chives bound with a dollop of home made yoghurt!

Cuisine

Gluten-Free, Grain-free, Modern, Paleo, Vegan, Vegetarian, Wheat-free

Servings

Ingredients

For the salad

• 1 large bag baby spinach leaves washed and spun dry
• 2 large oranges organic, peeled and segmented
• 1 medium cucumber halved length-ways, seeded & thinly sliced
• 1 bag hot radishes washed, trimmed, quartered
• 1 bunch fresh watercress washed, roughly chopped

For the dressing

• 3 tblsp extra virgin olive oil organic
• 3 tblsp apple cider vinegar raw is best
• 1 orange organic, zested & juiced
• 1-2 tsps. Dijon mustard
• sea salt & ground black pepper to taste

Cuisine Gluten-Free, Grain-free, Modern, Paleo, Vegan, Vegetarian, Wheat-free Servings Ingredients For the salad 1 large bag baby spinach leaves washed and spun dry 2 large oranges organic, peeled and segmented 1 medium cucumber halved length-ways, seeded & thinly sliced 1 bag hot radishes washed, trimmed, quartered 1 bunch fresh watercress washed, roughly chopped For the dressing 3 tblsp extra virgin olive oil organic 3 tblsp apple cider vinegar raw is best 1 orange organic, zested & juiced 1-2 tsps. Dijon mustard sea salt & ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Put all the salad ingredients into a large bowl and keep cool.
2. Whisk all the dressing ingredients together until emulsified. Taste and adjust the ingredients and seasoning to taste.
3. Just before serving, whisk up the dressing and toss the salad in enough dressing to just cover the leaves - reserve the rest to drizzle over whatever you're serving for the main event.
4. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

A note on radishes: Radishes come in all sorts of varieties.  I favour an extra hot, peppery red radish like Fakir - the most commonly grown in the UK

A note on raw spinach:  Raw spinach is delicious, but I don't advise eating a raw spinach salad regularly.  Spinach is high in oxalic acid which can irritate the mouth and intestinal tract and block calcium absorption.  Over time, this can lead to the formation of kidney stones.  For the same reason, I don't advise drinking raw green juices or smoothies regularly.  If you're hooked on your daily dose of spinach - cook it, cool it, blend it in - discarding the cooking liquid!

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