Strawberry Spinach Salad Poppy (Printable)
Fresh strawberries and baby spinach meet toasted nuts and tangy poppy seed dressing in this vibrant salad.
# What You'll Need:
→ Salad
01 - 6 cups baby spinach, washed and dried
02 - 1 ½ cups fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
03 - ½ small red onion, thinly sliced
04 - ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
05 - ½ cup toasted pecans or sliced almonds
06 - ¼ cup dried cranberries (optional)
→ Poppy Seed Dressing
07 - ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
08 - 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
09 - 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
10 - 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
11 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
12 - ¼ teaspoon salt
13 - ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
# Steps:
01 - In a large salad bowl, combine baby spinach, sliced strawberries, red onion, feta cheese, toasted nuts, and dried cranberries if desired.
02 - In a small bowl or jar, whisk together olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey or maple syrup, poppy seeds, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper until emulsified.
03 - Drizzle dressing over salad immediately before serving and toss gently to coat all ingredients evenly.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The dressing comes together in a jar while youre still slicing berries, no whisking bowl required.
- It somehow tastes expensive despite costing less than a coffee shop sandwich.
02 -
- Salted nuts will ruin this, taste one before you add them to the bowl.
- Cold strawberries straight from the fridge have no flavor, let them sit on the counter while you prep everything else.
03 -
- A mandoline for the onion saves tears and gives you paper-thin slices that almost disappear into the salad.
- If your strawberries are underripe, add an extra teaspoon of honey to the dressing and no one will know.