Strawberry Spinach Salad is a sweet and refreshing salad topped with the most delicious Homemade Poppy Seed Dressing. This salad is always a crowd pleaser and is a great side to any meal this spring and summer!
This is my very favorite way to enjoy strawberries in a salad! You are going to love it and be beg for a second helping. Your kids too!
Strawberry Spinach Salad
Fruit in salads is so delicious! The sweetness will have you hooked on salads. Plus, how gorgeous is that dark green with the bright red berries?! If you’re wondering what salad to serve at your next dinner party, this is it friends!
Ingredients for Strawberry Salad:
- Spinach– I prefer baby spinach. It’s prepped and ready to use and doesn’t have a strong flavor like other dark greens.
- Strawberries– Fresh, ripe, sweet, and juicy strawberries. Spring time is strawberry season so you’ll find the best berries then.
- Goat Cheese– A little goes a long way. It has a strong flavor and is oh so creamy! When tossed in salads it gets mixed with the dressing and becomes so creamy and dreamy.
- Red Onion– you can totally leave these out but the bite of the onion is a nice balance to the sweetness in the salad.
- Candied Almonds– these are a cinch to make and take your salad from fine to amazing. Everyone loves a good nutty crunch!
- Poppy Seed Dressing– I’ve only ever made this salad with my homemade dressing. I have a jar of this in my fridge 95% of the time.
How to Caramelize Almonds:
- Prepare a parchment paper lined baking sheet and set close by.
- Place almonds and granulated sugar in a skillet over medium-high heat. Stir constantly for 3-4 minutes.
- Remove pan from heat once the almonds are toasted and sugar has melted and sticks to the almonds.
- Pour the nuts onto the parchment paper and spread out as much as possible.
- Let cool completely and then break into clusters.
How to make Strawberry Spinach Salad:
- Make the caramelized nuts and Poppy Seed Dressing.
- Place spinach, strawberries, avocado slices, onions, cheese, and almonds into a large bowl.
- Just before serving, add desired amount of dressing and toss until everything is evenly coated. Serve immediately.
How to Store Salad:
I don’t recommend storing leftovers. Once the dressing is added, this salad will last only about an hour before the leaves start to wilt.
How to prep salad in advance:
If you want to make this ahead of time, prep the dressing, nuts, and slice berries. Keep separate in air tight containers. Place spinach in a bowl with onions and cheese and cover. When ready to serve, slice avocado and add all the ingredients together.
TOOLS USED TO MAKE THIS SPINACH SALAD:
- Slicer– This is so nice for when you need to cut a lot of strawberries and want them uniform in width. This works for strawberries and mushrooms.
- Parchment Paper– This make clean up so much easier! You need this so your caramelized nuts don’t get stuck to the pan they’re cooling on.
LOOKING FOR MORE SIDE SALADS? CHECK OUT THESE:
- BLT Tortellini Salad
- Broccoli Bacon Salad
- Arugula Salad with Parmesan
- Autumn Poppy Seed Spinach Salad
- Crunchy Asian Broccoli Slaw
Strawberry Spinach Salad
Ingredients
For the Caramelized Almonds:
- 1 cup sliced almonds
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
For the Salad:
- 10 ounces baby spinach
- 2 small avocados, sliced
- 2 cups strawberries, washed, hulled, and sliced
- 1/3 cup goat cheese (or feta), crumbled
- 1/3 cup red onion, sliced
- ~3/4 cup Homemade Poppy Seed Dressing
Instructions
For the Caramelized Almonds:
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Place almonds and granulated sugar in a skillet over medium-high heat. Stir constantly for 3-4 minutes.
- Remove pan from heat once the almonds are toasted and sugar has melted and sticks to the almonds. Pour the nuts onto the parchment paper and spread out as much as possible. Allow to cool and harden.
For the Salad:
- Place all ingredients into a large bowl. Drizzle with desired amount of dressing and toss. Serve immediately.*
The thing I love about this recipe is that you can not only make this salad combination, but you can make any combination and have a great salad with this amazing dressing. I always have some of this dressing in the fridge to use at a seconds notice. We love it on spinach with apples, crazins, and nuts, or romaine with fresh oranges and black berries. You can get creative with this using different cheeses and even some bacon. Love it!
Yes! So many great salad variations! That orange and black berry version is perfect for summer!