Strawberry Spinach Salad
This fresh and vibrant strawberry spinach salad has been a hit in my household, and even my salad-skeptic husband raved about it. What truly elevates this salad are the crunchy caramelized pecans—just the right amount of sweetness and incredibly easy to make. This salad is tossed with a healthy, creamy poppyseed dressing, juicy strawberries, zesty red onions, and creamy crumbled feta. I often prepare this salad dairy-free, so everyone can enjoy it. Plus, I’ll share some handy tips to help you achieve that perfect dairy-free version.
When strawberry season hits in June, I’m looking for all the ways to use my juicy berries. My go-to dessert is strawberry rhubarb bars (with ice cream on top, of course!) But when it comes to a side dish for all the summer parties, I’m always reaching for this recipe.
I don’t know, there’s something about that strawberry-spinach-poppyseed combo that is so good. What brilliant mastermind came up with that? Those poppyseeds give the perfect texture, combined with the juicy, plump strawberries and fresh spinach crisp leaves.
When I made this for my husband, who usually doesn’t like salads, he came back for seconds! And scraped his bowl clean. I knew this was a keeper.
Take this to your BBQ, poolside hang-out, Easter lunch or dinner, or make it as a healthy lunch – it’s so versatile and shockingly healthy with how good it tastes.
Ingredients Strawberry Spinach Salad
- Fresh spinach: You need 5 oz of fresh spinach. A lot of spinach is already sold in 5 oz. packages, so that should make it nice and easy! This equates to about 5-6 cups of spinach.
- Fresh strawberries: You need about 1.5 cups of sliced strawberries. This is less than 1 lb of strawberries (the classic carton size you buy a the grocery store). If you love strawberries, you can always add more!
- Red onion: You only need 1/4 cup of thinly sliced red onion. This creates some nice contrast to the sweetness of the strawberry salad. Red onion has a little bite to it, so make sure to cut into smaller, thin pieces. You can also soak your pieces in cool water for 10 minutes to help get rid of some of the bite.
- Caramelized pecans: We are going to make our own simple, lightly caramelized pecans. This is super easy – you are just going to warm some brown sugar, cinnamon, and water in a saucepan, then add your pecans and toast for a few minutes. They will harden up in just about 10 minutes and add the perfect sweet, crunchy, nutty flavor to the salad. Much better than plain pecans!
- Feta crumbles: I use a dairy-free option, but you can use whatever you like. I LOVE the Violife Just Like Feta Block. I recommend getting the block (whether it’s dairy-free or regular) and crumbling it yourself. It really does taste so much better!
- Creamy Poppyseed Dressing – I absolutely love this dressing. Other recipes call for a simple balsamic poppyseed vinaigrette, but the creaminess of this dressing envelops the fresh spinach and strawberries so well. It’s also healthy – made with a base of Greek Yogurt!
⭐️Love strawberries? 🍓 Check out my easy Strawberries & Cream Overnight Oats (great for a make-ahead breakfast) or my Strawberry Banana Smoothie Bowl for something like and refreshing.
How to Make Strawberry & Spinach Salad
1. Caramelize Pecans
Make your caramelized pecans first. In a small saucepan, add your brown sugar and water over medium heat. Stir until the brown sugar has dissolved. Let it warm for a few minutes until you start to see a few bubbles form.
Add your halved pecans and stir until coated. Toast for 2-4 minutes, until they start to smell nutty and the sugar has thickened onto the pecans.
Pour them on a parchment-lined plate or baking sheet, spreading evenly, and cool for about 10 minutes while you prep your salad.
2. Make your Poppyseed Dressing
Follow my recipe for creamy poppyseed dressing by combining all the ingredients in a small jar/bowl. Set aside.
3. Assemble and Dress Salad
In a large salad bowl, combine your spinach, sliced strawberries, and sliced red onion. Pour over half the poppyseed dressing and toss until the spinach leaves are coated. You want them evenly coated in dressing, not drenched.
Add your caramelized pecans and feta crumbles. Toss again. Drizzle on a little extra dressing if needed. You likely will not use all the dressing (I used about 3/4).
Serve right away — enjoy!
Make Ahead & Storage
- If making ahead of time, dress the salad right before you serve. If you are not eating the whole salad right away, only dress the parts you plan to eat.
- Store leftover salad, undressed, in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. The creamy poppyseed dressing can last in the fridge in a jar up to 10-14 days (stir before using).
What to Serve with Strawberry Spinach Salad
This salad is delicious on its own as a starter to your meal, or a light lunch, but here are some ideas of how to serve it with a main entree:
- With soup. Everyone loves a good soup-and-salad combo. Try it with my Gnocchi soup or Tuscan chickpea soup.
- With burgers or a sandwich. This is a great side to a hearty black bean burger or a summery chickpea salad sandwich.
- With roasted veggies. This pairs well with other sides like roasted asparagus or broccolini.
Variations of Spinach Strawberry Salad
Common Questions
For a classic favorite, poppyseed dressing is the best. I use a creamy poppyseed dressing that pairs perfectly. You could also try a vinaigrette like balsamic, raspberry, and more.
Some common mistakes include adding the dressing too early, choosing wilted/old spinach leaves, and dressing wet spinach leaves.
I would not recommend frozen strawberries. Once defrosted, they will be soggy and not hold up well in this salad.
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Strawberry Spinach Salad
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Ingredients
- 5 oz fresh baby spinach leaves
- 1.5 cups thinly sliced fresh strawberries
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
- ~1/2 cup crumbled feta choose a dairy-free version if vegan (I used Violife Just Like Feta Block)
- 1 recipe Creamy Poppyseed Dressing
Caramelized Pecans
- 2 tbsp packed light brown sugar
- 1 tbsp water
- sprinkle cinnamon
- 1/2 cup halved pecans
Instructions
- Make your caramelized pecans first. In a small saucepan, add your brown sugar and water over medium heat. Stir until brown sugar has dissolved. Let it warm for a few minutes until you start to see a few bubbles form.Add your halved pecans and stir until coated. Toast for 2-4 minutes, until they start to smell nutty and the sugar has thickened onto the pecans.Pour then on a parchment-lined plate or baking sheet, spreading evenly, and cool for about 10 minutes while you prep your salad.
- In a large salad bowl combine your spinach, sliced strawberries, and sliced red onion. Pour over half the poppyseed dressing and toss until the spinach leaves are coated. You want them to be evenly coated in dressing, but not drenched.
- Add your caramelized pecans and feta crumbles. Toss again. Drizzle on a little extra dressing if needed. You likely will not use all the dressing (I used about 3/4). Serve right away – enjoy!
Notes
- If you don’t plan to eat all the salad right away, I recommend only dressing the part you are eating. Store the leftover salad/dressing separately. The salad will stay good for a few days but the dressing can last up to 10-14 days.
- Nutrition facts were calculated with using 75% of the Creamy Poppyseed Dressing (as you likely will not need all of it for this recipe).
- I love the Violife Just Like Feta Block for a dairy-free option. The flavor so similar to regular feta!
