Strawberry Spinach Salad with Poppyseed Vinaigrette
Strawberry Spinach Salad with Poppyseed Vinaigrette is full of fresh strawberries, crunchy pecans, creamy feta, and red onion on a bed of baby spinach, topped with a delicious homemade poppyseed dressing.
Save This For Later!
We’ll email this post to you so it doesn’t get lost in your open tabs!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Lockrem Homestead
You’re going to love this spinach strawberry salad!
It’s the perfect way to highlight strawberry season and enjoy a hot summer night with friends or at a backyard BBQ. The sweetness of the strawberries is the main flavor, but it is made delightfully balanced with the tangy feta, punchy onion, and rich pecans.
Imagine fresh, crisp spinach mixed with sweet, ripe strawberries, tangy red onions, salty feta cheese, and buttery pecans, all topped with a poppyseed dressing.
Each bite has the perfect balance of salty, savory, and sweet flavors. It’s the most delicious fresh salad!
Why You’ll Love Strawberry Spinach Salad
- Fresh Ingredients – This salad is packed with delicious ingredients! Tangy feta, fresh strawberries, crunchy pecans, red onion, and fresh baby spinach make it easy to enjoy the fresh flavors during their peak season.
- Easy – This summer salad is made with simple ingredients that are easy to toss together in minutes. Serve as a lunch or side salad.
- Dressing – You’re going to love this amazing dressing, and its sweet, vinegar flavor. Making homemade dressing is so easy and better than anything you can buy in the store. Once you start, there’s no going back.
More Salad Recipes
Tools You’ll Need
- Large salad bowl
- Salad tongs
- Cutting board
- Knife
- Small bowl
- Whisk
- Measuring cups and spoons
Strawberry Salad Ingredients
- Spinach – Fresh baby spinach tender leaves provide the best flavor and crisp texture for the salad base. Alternatively, use your favorite leafy greens, such as romaine, baby kale, or mixed greens.
- Strawberries – Choose firm, ripe, juicy strawberries for bursts of sweetness that complement the savory flavors. Swap with blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, or peach slices for the same sweet burst of fruity flavor.
- Pecans – Adds a crunchy texture and warm, nutty flavor. Other nuts to choose from are walnuts, sliced almonds, pumpkin seeds, or sunflower seeds. For an added flavor, use candied pecans or lightly toasted pecans.
- Feta cheese – Crumbles of salty feta cheese balance the sweet strawberries. I prefer to buy a block of feta and crumble it myself. Crumbled goat cheese, blue cheese, or queso fresco are other tasty options.
- Onion – Red onion adds a bright pop of color to the salad, but white, yellow, or green onion works too.
- Dressing – combine extra-virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar, poppy seeds, black pepper, salt, honey, and mustard to make a sweet poppyseed vinaigrette.
- Optional – For an added crunch, toss the salad with sourdough croutons. Mix in a cup of quinoa, brown rice, or bulgur for added protein and complex carbs.
How to Make Strawberry Spinach Salad with Poppyseed Vinaigrette
Make the Dressing
Whisk the olive oil, honey, apple cider vinegar, poppyseeds, and mustard in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
If using a jar, add the salad dressing ingredients, seal the lid, and shake until well combined.
Assemble the Salad
Add the spinach to a large bowl and add the sliced strawberries, red onion, crumbled feta cheese, and pecans.
Add the Dressing
Drizzle a small amount of poppyseed dressing over the salad. Gently toss to distribute the dressing throughout the salad. Add more dressing as needed, but be mindful not to add too much.
Serve
Serve the salad immediately to enjoy the crisp textures and fresh flavors.
Store
Store the salad ingredients in separate airtight containers and the poppyseed dressing in a sealed jar.
Refrigerate for up to 2 days. For best results, add the dressing just before serving for the best flavor and texture. This salad is best fresh!
Helpful Tips for Spinach Strawberry Salad
- This strawberry spinach salad is so good, I could eat it every day throughout the summer. To save a step, make a double batch of the dressing and stash it in the fridge.
- Don’t overdress the salad. Too much can overwhelm the flavors and make everything soggy. Start with a little bit of dressing and taste before adding more.
FAQs About Spinach Strawberry Salad
Can I Change the dressing for spinach strawberry salad?
Yes! Sweet salad dressings like a homemade strawberry vinaigrette, lemon vinaigrette, and balsamic vinaigrette dressing are delicious options.
What Pairs Well with Strawberry Spinach Salad?
On its own, this strawberry spinach salad recipe with poppy seed dressing is an ideal vegetarian option, but you can easily accommodate any meat eater by adding your favorite protein. Top the salad with chicken breast, steak, salmon, pork chops, or crumbled bacon.
Pair it with a Sourdough Baguette, Easy Burrata Bruschetta and Prosciutto Toast, or Sourdough Buttermilk Biscuits.
I’d love to hear from you! If you made this Strawberry Spinach Salad Recipe and loved it, I would love it if you gave it 5 stars! Enjoy!
Strawberry Spinach Salad with Poppyseed Vinaigrette
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I’ll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Lockrem Homestead
Equipment
- salad bowl
- salad tongs
- Cutting Board
- Knife
- small bowl
- whisk
- measuring cups and spoons
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients
- 5 oz baby spinach
- 1 lbs strawberries hull and slice
- 4 oz feta cheese crumble
- ½ medium red onion slice
- ½ cup pecans chop roughly
Poppyseed Vinaigrette Dressing Ingredients
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ T poppyseeds
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 3 T honey
- 1 tsp mustard
- ⅛ tsp salt or to taste
- ⅛ tsp black pepper
Instructions
Make the Dressing
- Whisk the olive oil, honey, apple cider vinegar, poppyseeds, and mustard in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.½ cup olive oil, 3 T honey, ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, ½ T poppyseeds, 1 tsp mustard, ⅛ tsp salt , and ⅛ tsp black pepper
- If using a jar, add the salad dressing ingredients, seal the lid, and shake until well combined.
Assemble the Salad
- Add the spinach to a large bowl and add the sliced strawberries, red onion, crumbled feta cheese, and pecans.5 oz baby spinach, 1 lbs strawberries, ½ medium red onion, 4 oz feta cheese, and ½ cup pecans
Add Dressing
- Drizzle a small amount of poppyseed dressing over the salad. Gently toss to distribute the dressing throughout the salad. Add more dressing as needed, but be mindful not to add too much.
Serve
- Serve the salad immediately to enjoy the crisp textures and fresh flavors.
Store
- Store the salad ingredients in separate airtight containers and the poppyseed dressing in a sealed jar.
- Refrigerate for up to 2 days. For best results, add the dressing just before serving for the best flavor and texture. This salad is best fresh!
Notes
- This strawberry spinach salad is so good, I could eat it every day throughout the summer. To save a step, make a double batch of the dressing and stash it in the fridge.
- Don’t overdress the salad. Too much can overwhelm the flavors and make everything soggy. Start with a little bit of dressing and taste before adding more.