Strawberry Spinach Salad Recipe
This Strawberry Spinach Salad is the perfect blend of fresh flavors and vibrant colors! 🍓🥗 With sweet strawberries, crisp spinach, tangy feta, and a delicious balsamic poppy seed dressing, this spinach strawberry salad is light, refreshing, and packed with nutrients. Whether you're looking for spinach salad recipes for a healthy lunch, a side dish, or a crowd-pleasing appetizer, this recipe is a must-try!
Ingredients
For the Strawberry Spinach Salad:
- ¾ cup raw pecans
- ½ small red onion very thinly sliced
- 10 ounces fresh baby spinach I also love a 50/50 arugula and spinach blend
- 1 quart strawberries hulled and quartered about 1 pound
- ¾ cup crumbled feta cheese buy the block-style feta not pre-crumbled; the texture is much better
For the Poppy seed Dressing:
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 ½ tablespoons poppy seeds
- 1 ½ tablespoons honey
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Toast the Pecans: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and spread pecans on a baking sheet. Toast for 5-7 minutes until fragrant. Let cool and chop.
- Prepare the Red Onion: Soak sliced onions in water for 10 minutes to remove sharpness. Drain and pat dry.
- Make the Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together balsamic vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, olive oil, and poppy seeds.
- Assemble the Salad: In a large bowl, combine spinach, sliced strawberries, and red onions.
- Dress and Toss: Drizzle half of the dressing over the salad and toss gently.
- Add the Toppings: Sprinkle with toasted pecans and crumbled feta. Add more dressing if needed.
- Serve Immediately: Enjoy as a side dish or add protein for a complete meal.
Notes
- Dress the salad as shortly before serving as you can. If you don’t plan to eat it all right away, dress only what you plan to eat right away, then store the leftover, undressed salad in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Refrigerate leftover dressing in an airtight container (a jar is perfect) for up to 5 days, then shake before serving.
- Nutrition is an estimate and has been calculated with two-thirds of the dressing, as you likely will not need all of it for the salad.