Strawberry Spinach Poppy Seed (Printable)
A refreshing blend of strawberries, tender spinach, nuts, and tangy poppy seed dressing for a light meal.
# What You'll Need:
→ Salad Components
01 - 5 oz baby spinach leaves, washed and thoroughly dried
02 - 1 ½ cups fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
03 - ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
04 - ½ cup toasted pecans or walnuts, roughly chopped
05 - 2 tablespoons red onion, thinly sliced
→ Poppy Seed Vinaigrette
06 - 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
07 - 1 ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar
08 - 1 tablespoon honey or pure maple syrup
09 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
10 - 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
11 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
# Steps:
01 - Place the baby spinach, sliced strawberries, crumbled feta, toasted nuts, and red onion in a large salad bowl.
02 - In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, poppy seeds, salt, and pepper until fully emulsified and smooth.
03 - Drizzle the vinaigrette evenly over the salad mixture just before serving. Toss gently to coat all ingredients without damaging the spinach.
04 - Plate the salad immediately, garnishing with additional nuts or strawberry slices if desired. Serve chilled.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The combination of sweet berries and tangy feta hits every flavor note in one bite
- It comes together in 15 minutes but looks like something from a restaurant
02 -
- Dressing spinach salads too early makes them wilt and sad, so wait until the last possible second
- The vinaigrette keeps for a week in the fridge but will need a good shake to come back together
03 -
- Invest in a good salad spinner because wet dressing will never stick to wet greens
- Toast a big batch of nuts and keep them in your freezer for instant salad upgrades