Learn Hardcore Spanish (Latin America): Siempre añado espinaca fresca a mi ensalada.

In Spanish, adverbs of frequency like siempre (“always”) are quite flexible: you can place them before or after the verb.
• Antes del verbo (as in your sentence): Siempre añado espinaca fresca… (emphasis on the habit)
• Después del verbo: Añado siempre espinaca fresca… (neutral statement)

Both are correct; starting with siempre slightly highlights the fact that it’s a constant habit.

What does añado mean, and is there any difference if I use agrego instead?

Añado is the first-person present tense of añadir (“to add”). In Latin America agregar is a synonym, so you could say agrego (“I add”) with exactly the same meaning. It’s just a matter of style or personal preference—both verbs are common.

Why is espinaca singular here? Shouldn’t it be espinacas?

Spanish treats some foods as uncountable (mass nouns). When you talk about a portion of spinach in general, using the singular espinaca is fine, just like “spinach” in English. If you want to highlight individual leaves or countable pieces, you can say espinacas (plural). Both are correct:
• Añado espinaca fresca… (mass/uncountable sense)
• Añado espinacas frescas… (countable leaves or pieces)

Why does fresca come after espinaca? Can I say fresca espinaca?

In Spanish the neutral word order puts descriptive adjectives after the noun: espinaca fresca. You could place fresca before for stylistic or poetic effect (fresca espinaca), but that’s unusual in everyday speech and can sound emphatic or literary.

What is the role of the a before mi ensalada? Is that the personal “a”?

Here a is a simple preposition meaning “to,” as in “add spinach to my salad.” It is not the personal a (which marks human direct objects). In verbs like añadir, Spanish uses a to introduce the target or recipient of the addition.

Why don’t we say a la mi ensalada or a mi la ensalada?

When you use a possessive adjective (mi, tu, su), it replaces the definite article. So you don’t say la mi ensalada; you just say mi ensalada. Adding la in front is nonstandard (though occasionally heard in colloquial speech for emphasis).

Is the subject “yo” missing? Can I include it?

In Spanish the verb ending -o in añado already tells you the subject is “I” (yo). Subject pronouns are optional and typically omitted. You can include yo for emphasis or clarity: Yo siempre añado espinaca fresca a mi ensalada.