Fresh Strawberry Spinach Salad (Printable)

A vibrant blend of strawberries, spinach, nuts, and creamy poppyseed dressing, perfect for warm days.

# What You Need:

→ Salad

01 - 6 cups fresh baby spinach, washed and dried
02 - 2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
03 - 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
04 - 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
05 - 1/3 cup toasted sliced almonds or pecans
06 - 1/4 cup dried cranberries

→ Poppyseed Dressing

07 - 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
08 - 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
09 - 1 tablespoon honey
10 - 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
11 - 1 tablespoon plain Greek yogurt
12 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
13 - Pinch of salt
14 - Freshly ground black pepper to taste

# How to Make It:

01 - In a large salad bowl, combine spinach, sliced strawberries, red onion, feta cheese, toasted nuts, and dried cranberries.
02 - In a small bowl or jar, whisk together olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey, poppy seeds, Greek yogurt, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper until smooth and emulsified.
03 - Drizzle dressing over salad just before serving. Toss gently to combine and coat all ingredients. Serve immediately, garnished with extra nuts or feta if desired.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It comes together in fifteen minutes, which means you can actually make it on a weeknight without stress.
  • The poppyseed dressing tastes fancy but requires no cooking, just a quick whisking that somehow feels meditative.
  • Spinach and strawberries are a combination that sounds simple until you taste how perfectly the sweetness plays against the greens.
02 -
  • Do not make this salad more than an hour ahead of time—the spinach will wilt and the strawberries will start giving up their juice, no matter how well-intentioned you are.
  • The dressing is thick by design, so it clings to the leaves instead of pooling at the bottom of the bowl like most vinaigrettes do.
03 -
  • Toast your nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat while you're prepping everything else; they'll be warm and fragrant when the salad comes together.
  • Buy strawberries only when they smell like strawberries—that aroma is the most reliable signal that they'll actually taste good.
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