This strawberry spinach salad is stuffed with pecans, feta, and a tangy poppy seed dressing. Excellent for spring or summer time, it is easy and recent.
This strawberry spinach salad is ideal for spring and early summer time. It begins with a base of recent spinach—one of many first greens to look at my farmers market every spring—and is topped off with juicy strawberries, crisp purple onion, toasty pecans, and salty feta cheese. My candy and tangy poppy seed dressing ties all of it collectively.
I feel it’s honest to say that this mix is fairly traditional (doesn’t Panera have a strawberry poppyseed salad on its menu?), however I nonetheless needed to share this recipe as a result of it’s so easy and recent, with an exquisite pop of sweetness and coloration from the strawberries. It feels particular sufficient to serve at vacation gathering or potluck (I’m making it for Easter on Sunday!), however it’s so fast and straightforward that you can toss it collectively for any spring meal.
You’ll find the entire strawberry spinach salad recipe on the backside of this submit. Alongside the way in which, I’m sharing enjoyable swaps and variations, make-ahead ideas, and extra. I hope you like this salad as a lot as I do!
What’s In This Strawberry Spinach Salad
Right here’s what you’ll must make this spinach and strawberry salad:
- Strawberries, in fact! They add sweetness, ruby purple coloration, and mushy, juicy texture. Relatively than chop them, I thinly slice them for this salad. I like consuming the skinny slices alongside the spinach leaves, and so they look so fairly!
- Contemporary spinach – Use child spinach in case you can—its small leaves and tender texture are nice right here. Mature spinach additionally works, however you might need to chop it earlier than you assemble the salad.
- Pink onion – For savory, oniony taste.
- Toasted pecans – For crunch and wealthy, nutty taste.
- And feta cheese – It provides a tangy, salty pop that contrasts completely with the candy berries.
Discover the entire recipe with measurements beneath.
Attainable Swaps
- Change the strawberries with one other recent fruit like blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, orange segments, thinly sliced apples, or pears.
- Use spring combine as a substitute of spinach. Butter lettuce would work properly too!
- Attempt one other nut. Change the pecans with toasted walnuts, pine nuts, or almonds.
- Swap out the feta for crumbled goat cheese or blue cheese. You might even substitute diced avocado to make this recipe dairy-free!
Let me know what variations you attempt!
My Simple Poppy Seed Dressing
A candy and tangy poppy seed dressing brings this salad collectively.
It’s straightforward to make with white wine vinegar, shallot, honey, Dijon mustard, salt, extra-virgin olive oil, and poppy seeds. In the event you’d wish to make the dressing evenly creamy, you’ll be able to add slightly mayo too.
Simply whisk the elements collectively in a bowl, or place them in a lidded jar and shake to mix.
Attainable Swaps
Wish to attempt one other dressing on this salad? Any of those recipes can be nice:
What to Serve with This Strawberry Spinach Salad
This strawberry spinach salad is a good addition to any spring or early summer time meal! Serve it alongside your favourite protein or with any of those recipes:
It will even be a incredible facet dish for an Easter brunch.
To make this salad meal by itself, add a cooked grain like farro or quinoa and/or a handful of crispy roasted chickpeas.
Make-Forward and Storage Ideas
The spinach strawberry salad and poppy seed dressing are finest saved individually.
- You’ll be able to toss collectively the salad elements—minus the dressing—as much as 1 day prematurely. Retailer the salad in an hermetic container within the fridge till able to serve.
- You may make the dressing as much as 5 days prematurely. Retailer it in an hermetic container within the fridge till able to serve. The olive oil within the dressing could solidify because it chills within the fridge. Simply enable it to sit down at room temperature for a couple of minutes to melt earlier than drizzling it over the salad!
Undressed leftovers preserve properly within the fridge for as much as 3 days. As soon as dressed, this salad is finest eaten inside a couple of hours.
Extra Spring Salad Recipes
In the event you love this strawberry spinach salad, attempt one in all these recent spring salads subsequent:
Strawberry Spinach Salad
Serves 4 to six
This scrumptious strawberry spinach salad is ideal for spring and summer time! The strawberries, greens, and tangy poppy seed dressing make it style tremendous brilliant and recent. Be happy to assemble it as much as 1 day forward in case you’re making it for a potluck or big day. Simply wait so as to add the dressing till proper earlier than serving!
- 5 ounces recent spinach
- 1 cup thinly sliced strawberries
- ⅓ cup thinly sliced purple onion
- 1 recipe Poppy Seed Dressing
- ½ cup toasted pecans
- 2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
- Sea salt and freshly floor black pepper
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In a big bowl, place the spinach, strawberries, and purple onion. Add a few of the dressing and toss to mix.
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Add the pecans and feta and gently toss. Add extra dressing, as desired. Season to style with salt and pepper and serve.