Jump to Recipe Print Recipe Rate this Recipe

Liven up your meal with this fresh spinach salad, filled with jicama, pineapple and avocado, and topped with a creamy Sriracha dressing.

Sitting in our backyard on Sunday came with a risk of getting soaked. I actually covet Utah's August thunderstorms, a break from the summer heat and a reminder of overcast Vancouver days sprinkled through my childhood memories. As Steve and I lounged in our reclining chairs, gazing up at the Wasatch mountain just a couple of miles away, we became distracted by a high-pitched buzzing sound.

See How to Choose & Cut a Pineapple

Our backyard has always been adorned with various bird feeders, attracting everything from sparrows and robins to woodpeckers and gold finches, and a variety of raptors that occasionally attempt to feed on any of the above. Amongst this variety, the tiny hummingbirds have always been my favorites, thanks to deeply ingrained memories of my grandmother religiously making countless sugar-water concoctions and filling the hummingbird feeders both at my grandparents' home and their cottage.

On Sunday, however, the hummingbird buzz was different than any we had heard before. Higher in pitch and louder, both Steve and I quickly turned our gaze towards the nearest feeder to spot a new-to-us species, resplendent with a ruby red throat, bright against the stormy sky. This lone male Broad-Tailed Hummingbird dared to feed from our feeder for only minutes before being chased by the resident Black-Chinned Hummingbird. Darting and diving, they put on a show as only territorial males protecting their habitat will do.

It was brightness amidst a gloomy afternoon, a vision to hold onto when inevitable snow and frigid days move in later in the year.

The idea for this salad came from a need for bright and cheerful flavors on that overcast day. Jicama, fresh pineapple and avocado - all brightly colored, with fresh flavors to match the season. I am always a sucker for any dish that combines sweet and spicy flavors, so a creamy buttermilk dressing spiked with Sriracha hot chili sauce was the perfect foil for the sweet pineapple (see how to pick a good pineapple) and jicama. If you prefer your food less fiery, add a smaller amount of Sriracha to start, tasting and adding to the dressing until you reach the perfect spice level for your palate.

Other healthy jicama recipes:

Cookin' Canuck's Jicama, Black Bean & Corn Salsa
Cookin' Canuck's Jicama & Carrot Slaw with Honey-Lime Dressing
A Zesty Bite's Spicy Baked Jicama Fries
Blissful Basil's Colorful Jicama Noodle Salad with Creamy Tahini-Ginger Dressing
A House in the Hills' Jicama Spring Rolls

Printable Recipe