When the weather warms up, I’m all about salads. I often find myself making watermelon salad, berry fruit salad and this light and delicious strawberry spinach salad. In the spring and summer I like salads that feature fresh produce. I love this salad because of the hearty spinach. My kids love this salad for the sweet strawberries and tangy dressing! Give this salad and try and you will have a real crowd-pleaser!
Poppy Seed Dressing Ingredients
This poppy seed dressing contains pantry staples and makes for the perfect sweet and savory counterpart to the salad ingredients. For this poppy seed dressing you will need extra virgin olive oil, sugar, apple cider vinegar, poppy seeds, salt and black pepper.
Strawberries: I prefer smaller strawberries as it makes the salad easier to eat. If your berries are particularly large, you may want to coarsely chop them instead of using quarters. Spinach: I buy a container of pre-washed baby spinach leaves to make the prep work as easy as possible. Avocado: Look for a firm but ripe avocado. A softer avocado can get mushy when the salad is tossed. Almonds: Most major grocery stores sell thinly sliced almonds that are ready to use in this salad. Feta: Look for a high quality block of feta for best results. I use a cow’s milk feta for this salad. Red Onions: Cut your onions thinly or finely mince them for optimal flavor and texture.
How Do You Make Strawberry Spinach Salad?
To make this strawberry spinach salad recipe, first prepare all of your produce. Rinse and dry your spinach leaves, quarter your strawberries, slice your red onion and dice your avocado. Next, for the dressing whisk together olive oil, sugar, apple cider vinegar, poppy seeds, salt and pepper. Assemble the salad by starting with baby spinach leaves, which go into a bowl with quartered strawberries, sliced almonds, diced avocado, sliced red onion and crumbled feta cheese. Pour your dressing over the top of the salad and toss everything together. Serve and enjoy the salad!
Tips For The Perfect Strawberry Spinach Salad
I like to buy a block of feta cheese and crumble it myself, I think it tastes much better than pre-crumbled feta cheese which often contains anti-caking agents and other preservatives. I buy a bag of toasted sliced almonds for this recipe. You can toast your own almonds by placing them on foil in the toaster oven for 2-3 minutes on the toast setting, or by toasting them in a dry pan on the stove. Watch carefully so that your nuts don’t burn. I use a mandoline to slice my red onion into paper thin shavings. You can also finely mince your onion if you prefer. Pour your dressing over the salad quickly after placing your vegetables in your bowl so the avocados don’t have a chance to turn brown.
Flavor Variations
This strawberry spinach salad is delicious and flavorful; however, you can change it up to suit your own taste:
Cheese: Try some cheddar cheese, mozzarella, goat cheese, Monterey jack or blue cheese. Fruit: You can add other fruit like blueberries, blackberries, diced peaches and cherry halves. Nuts: Add some more crunch with some chopped walnuts, pecans, candied pecans or cashews. Dressing: If you want a different dressing, try my Greek salad dressing, Italian dressing, homemade ranch dressing, honey mustard or balsamic vinaigrette. Grain: Make your salad hearty with a cooked grain like quinoa or farro! Meat: You can add your favorite protein like grilled salmon, garlic butter shrimp or grilled chicken breast.
Once you try this strawberry spinach salad it is sure to be a staple on your dinner table all spring and summer long.
