Spinach Strawberry Salad (Printer-friendly)

Tender spinach, sweet strawberries, crunchy nuts, and a luscious poppy seed dressing combine in this fresh, easy dish.

# What You'll Need:

→ Salad

01 - 5 oz fresh baby spinach leaves
02 - 9 oz strawberries, hulled and sliced
03 - ½ cup toasted pecans or sliced almonds
04 - ½ cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)
05 - 2 tablespoons red onion, thinly sliced (optional)

→ Sweet Poppy Seed Dressing

06 - ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
07 - 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
08 - 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
09 - 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
10 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
11 - ¼ teaspoon sea salt
12 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

# How to Make It:

01 - In a large bowl, combine spinach, strawberries, nuts, feta cheese, and red onion if using.
02 - Whisk together olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey, poppy seeds, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper until emulsified.
03 - Drizzle dressing over salad just before serving and toss gently to coat all ingredients evenly.
04 - Serve immediately to maintain freshness and crunch.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It tastes indulgent but comes together in just 15 minutes with zero cooking required.
  • The poppy seed dressing is tangy-sweet and works on almost any salad you'll make for months.
  • It's one of those dishes that looks fancy enough to serve guests but casual enough for a weeknight dinner.
02 -
  • Dress the salad at the very last second; wet spinach is sad spinach, and the nuts will go soft if left sitting.
  • If you make the dressing ahead, it will separate—just shake the jar for ten seconds and it comes back together perfectly.
03 -
  • Toast your own nuts instead of buying them pre-toasted; they stay fresher and taste infinitely better.
  • Slice your strawberries at the very last second so they don't weep all over the spinach before you eat.
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