Iron Man Spinach Salad

“I’m strong to the finish ’cause I eats me spinach.” With these immortal words, Popeye tears open a can of spinach, acquires superhuman strength, overcomes his nemesis Bluto and wins the undying devotion of his girlfriend Olive Oyl, that is, until the next cartoon. As a four-year-old fan of the plucky sailor, I asked my mother to buy a can of spinach but she demurred. “I don’t think you’ll like it”, she replied. But fresh baby spinach, as called for in this iron man salad by Bonnie Stern, published in the National Post, is an entirely different matter.

Iron Man Spinach Salad

According to the Chemical Industry Digest, it turns out that “Popeye’s yen for a can of spinach before bulging his biceps has a genuine scientific basis. Researchers have found that the green leafy vegetable really boosts muscle power”. The inorganic nitrate in spinach is the secret behind its strength-giving property. In addition to spinach, this colorful salad is chock-full of seeds, nuts,  beets, green beans, and pomegranate arils. Sweet, tangy, crunchy, soft, and rich, iron man spinach salad is not only virtuous but a little decadent, and is eminently satisfying as an appetizer or a light main course.

Assemble your ingredients.

For the green beans: Trim the green beans. Blanch in a pot of boiling water for 3 minutes just until the green beans are barely cooked. Rinse with cold water and pat them dry with a paper towel.

For the beets: I use precooked, skinned beets to make this salad. If using uncooked beets, wrap the raw beets in foil and roast in a preheated 400 F. oven for one hour. Test the beets with the sharp point of a knife to make sure that they’re thoroughly cooked. Allow the beets to cool and peel the skins. Cut into small cubes.

For the pomegranate seeds: Cut the pomegranate into quarters and remove the seeds gently from the white membranes.

For the dressing: Whisk the lemon juice, honey garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil.

To assemble the salad: Place the baby spinach, and arugula or mixed field greens on a large plate or platter. Arrange the beets, green beans, seeds and nuts on top. Scatter the pomegranate seeds over the salad and dress to taste.

Print Recipe

Iron Man Spinach Salad

Soups and Salads

By Bonnie Stern, National Post, March 2012 – Serves: 6

Prep Time: 15 minutes – Cooking Time: 5 minutes for green beans – Total Time: 20 minutes

In addition to spinach, this colorful salad is chock-full of seeds, nuts, beets, green beans, and pomegranate arils.

Ingredients

• Dressing:
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt or more to taste
• 3 to 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Salad:
• ½ pound red beets, whole (about 2 medium beets)
• ½ pound green beans
• 3 ounces baby spinach
• 2 handfuls arugula or mixed field greens
• 2 tablespoons toasted coarsely chopped pecans
• 2 tablespoons roasted sunflower seeds
• 2 tablespoons toasted pumpkin seeds
• ¼ cup pomegranate seeds
• ¼ cup feta cheese, crumbled (optional for a dairy salad)

Instructions

Make the dressing:

1

Whisk together the lemon juice, honey, garlic, salt, pepper and extra virgin olive oil. Set this mixture aside.

For the salad:

2

Trim the green beans. Blanch in a pot of boiling, salted water for 3 minutes just until the green beans are barely cooked. Rinse with cold water and pat them dry with a paper towel.

3

I use precooked, skinned beets to make this salad. If using uncooked beets, wrap the scrubbed, raw beets in foil and roast in a preheated 400 F. oven for one hour. Test the beets with the sharp point of a knife to make sure that they're thoroughly cooked. Allow the beets to cool and peel the skins. Cut into small cubes.

4

Cut a pomegranate into quarters and remove the seeds gently from the white membranes. Measure out 1/4 cup of seeds

5

To assemble the salad: Place the baby spinach, and arugula or mixed field greens on a large plate or platter. Arrange the beets, green beans, seeds and nuts on top. Scatter the pomegranate seeds over the salad and dress to taste.