Strawberry and Spinach Salad with Poppyseed Dressing

An overhead view of a fresh strawberry spinach salad with avocado that has been tossed together in a wooden bowl.

Strawberry and Spinach Salad with Poppyseed Dressing

Course: Appetizer or Salad

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 20

Total Time: 20

Servings:

Calories: 312kcal

Author: Kris Longwell

Strawberry and Spinach Salad with Poppyseed Dressing is the perfect salad, especially when strawberries are in peak season. You can easily prep everything in advance and assemble and dress the salad just before serving.

Print Recipe

Equipment

1 Large salad bowl
1 jar with tight-fitting lid

Ingredients

For the Poppyseed Balsamic Vinaigrette

¼ cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoon poppyseeds
1 teaspoon ground mustard
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

For the Salad

½ cup red onion cut into thin strips
½ cup apple cider vinegar
10 oz baby spinach washed
1 quart strawberries fresh, stemmed and halved
1 avocado peeled, pitted, and cubed
½ cup pecans roughly chopped and toasted
¼ cup basil fresh, cut into thin strips
¾ cup feta block

Instructions

Make the Poppyseed Balsamic Vinaigrette

Place all of the vinaigrette ingredients into a jar. Tightly affix the lid to the jar and shake vigorously for about 1 minute, until the liquids are completely emulsified. Or, mix together all ingredients, except the EVOO in a small bowl. Briskly whisk in the EVOO in a small stream until completely combined and emulsified. Set aside.
¼ cup balsamic vinegar, 2 tablespoon sugar, 2 teaspoon poppyseeds, 1 teaspoon ground mustard, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Assemble the Salad

Place the onions in a small bowl and cover with the apple cider vinegar. It's best to allow the onions to rest in the vinegar for at least 20 minutes.
½ cup red onion, ½ cup apple cider vinegar
Place the spinach in a large salad bowl. Arrange the other salad ingredients on top of the spinach, including crumbling the cheese with your hands. Drain the onions and place them along with the other ingredients. Leave some of the feta and pecans to the side for topping the tossed salad.
10 oz baby spinach, 1 quart strawberries, 1 avocado, ½ cup pecans, ¼ cup basil, ¾ cup feta
Pour the vinaigrette over the top of the salad. Use two salad tongs (or utensils) to fully toss the salad. Add the dressing in increments until you reach the desired coating. Don't overdress! Top with extra toasted pecans and crumbled feta. Serve at once.

Video

Notes

See the video near the top of the blog post for visual guidance. If you like the video, please subscribe to our YouTube channel.

If using fresh spinach (in place of baby spinach), be sure to thoroughly wash it and cut the stems away. You may want to roughly chop the spinach, too.

Nut substitutes: Almonds, walnuts, cashews, peanuts. Toasting them ahead of time enhances their flavor significantly. But keep an eye on them, don't let them burn!

Cheese substitutes: Goat, blue, cotija. We recommend getting a block of cheese and then using your hands to crumble the cheese into the salad. It's creamier than pre-crumbled cheese.

This salad is best served freshly tossed. The salad will become soggy after several hours, so leftovers (which don't exist) aren't ideal for holding on to.

Nutrition

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