Start with the dressing (skip if using premade) Ranch dressing always tastes it’s absolute best made ahead of time. Whisk and chill for a few hours before serving or make things simple by tossing it together the night before. Peel 1 clove of garlic, then smash and mince it into a paste. Season with salt. Combine salted garlic paste with remaining dressing ingredients and whisk well. Pop in the fridge to chill for a few hours for flavors to set. Wash + dry spinach. Combine with broccoli, blueberries, dried cranberries, avocado, feta cheese, and sunflower seeds. Toss with dressing and serve. Season with black pepper, to taste.
This recipe yields one extra-large personal salad or 2 smaller side salads. This dressing works with both fresh and dried herbs, so absolutely use what fresh herbs you have on hand. I’ll include measurements for dried, which are a little stronger in flavor, so when using fresh you’ll simply increase the amount to taste. Enjoy! Making more dressing for later? Typical food safety rule of thumb is that homemade dressings will keep in the fridge for 4 days.I used a feta made of goat and sheep’s milk, but you can also use straight up goat cheese or cow’s milk feta. Need to make this dairy-free? I gotcha! Skip the cheese, sub your favorite dairy-free dressing (this fruity blueberry balsamic is amazing!) and treat yourself with some tasty candied walnuts in place of the cheese. Out of blueberries? Try strawberries, raspberries, or even chopped apple as a fruity sub. I adore sunflowers in this salad, but pepitas would be great too!