Strawberry Spinach Salad with Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing
This salad is spring and summer in a bowl!
It’s an irresistibly sweet, tangy, crunchy, creamy, fresh and vibrant explosion perfect for every occasion from Mother’s Day to a casual brunch or summer picnic.
It will knock your socks off.
Key Salad Ingredients:
Spinach. Spinach and strawberries are classic together and an excellent choice. For a peppery twist, try using a blend of half arugula, half spinach.
Strawberries. Buy the juiciest, ripest fruit you can find. To change it up, try mixing in any combination of blueberries, raspberries or clementines.
Toasted Almonds. The necessary crunchy element that no good salad should be without. Not into almonds? Try swapping pecans or chopped walnuts. Whatever nuts you choose, be absolutely sure to toast them first—it makes them crisp and 1,000x more flavorful. Working around a nut allergy? Try toasted sunflower seeds.
Feta. The key to a truly satisfying salad is to add a touch of creaminess, and cheese was born for it. In addition to mild feta, I adore spinach strawberry salad with goat cheese. It’s extra decadent and tangy. Whether you choose feta or goat cheese, buy a block of it (or in the case of goat cheese, one of those cute little logs), and crumble it yourself. I know the containers of cheese crumbles are tempting, but they fail miserably in the creamy department because they are coated in a starchy powder to keep them from caking together. TRUST ME HERE.
Red Onion. To give this healthy strawberry spinach salad a friendly bite and keep it from being too sweet.
Red Onion Tip: When you are using red onions raw like in this spinach strawberry salad recipe, soak them in water first. This preserves the onions’ flavor but removes the harsh (and stubbornly lingering) aftertaste.
Let’s Talk Poppy Seed Dressing…
When I crave strawberry spinach salad, I crave it with poppy seed dressing because I consider the two together are a package deal to be embraced.
The poppy seeds add micro pops of texture too!
Rather than a creamy dressing, this spinach strawberry salad calls for a poppy seed vinaigrette made with fresh lemon juice and honey for a few reasons:
Lemon and strawberry are divine together.
The acidity of the dressing adds a nice balance.
I always have lemons in the fridge.
It’s FAST.
The two greatest barriers to making your own vinaigrette from scratch are time and ingredients.
This one takes seconds, and you most likely have everything you need to make it in your pantry right now.
It’s a stress free, hypnotic steal-the-show side dish of your dreams.
Strawberry Spinach Salad with Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing
For the Salad:
10 ounces fresh baby spinach (I also love a 50/50 arugula and spinach blend)
3/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1/2 small red onion very thinly sliced
1 quart strawberries hulled and quartered (about 1 pound)
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (buy the block-style feta, not pre-crumbled; the texture is much better)
For the Dressing:
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup honey (or maple syrup)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 cup diced red onion (about 2 slices)
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
To make the dressing: In a blender, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, honey, mustard, salt, and red onion, and blend until smooth. Taste the dressing and adjust any seasoning, if needed.
Add the poppy seeds and pulse the blender briefly, just enough to disperse them. Pour the dressing into an airtight container and store it in the fridge until ready to serve.
Leftover dressing should last in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Assemble the salad: Place the spinach in a great big serving bowl. Add the strawberries and red onion. Drizzle about half of the dressing over the salad and toss to coat the leaves. Assess the amount of dressing. You want the spinach leaves to be nicely moistened but not swimming in dressing. Add a little more if needed to suit your preferences. Add the feta and almonds. Toss lightly to combine. Serve immediately, with extra dressing on the side as desired.
