Strawberry Spinach Salad
This delicious strawberry spinach salad recipe combines sweet strawberries with fresh baby spinach, tangy feta or goat cheese, creamy avocado and crunchy candied pecans all tossed in a flavorful and velvety balsamic poppy seed dressing.
Servings 6 servings
Calories 319kcal
Ingredients
Balsamic Poppy Seed Dressing
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
- Fine sea salt and black pepper
- ⅓ cup olive oil or any other mild oil such as avocado oil
Strawberry Spinach Salad
- ½ small red onion very thinly sliced
- 8 to 10 ounces baby spinach or mesclun mix
- 1 pint strawberries hulled and cut in half or if they are big, into 3 sliced
- 1 avocado pitted, peeled and chopped
- ⅓ cup chopped candied pecans
- 4 ounces crumbled goat cheese or feta cheese
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, poppy seeds, salt and pepper. Gradually and slowly, whisk in the oil so the vinaigrette emulsifies which makes it a bit creamy. Set aside.
- In a platter or shallow bowl, layer the salad greens, strawberries, avocado and onions. Add the pecans and the cheese. Drizzle the dressing (as little or as much as you want) and toss. Serve.
Notes
- To take the strong flavor from the red onions very quickly, place the sliced onions in a small colander, sprinkle them with table salt (about 2 teaspoons), with your fingers toss the onions so they get coated with the salt. Wait 1-2 minutes and rinse the onions under cold running water to remove the salt.
Alternately soak them in water for 20 minutes (not my preferred method). - Add the avocado as close to serving time as possible to prevent oxidation.
- Toss the salad with the salad dressing when ready to serve.
Nutrition
Calories: 319kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 281mg | Potassium: 546mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 3683IU | Vitamin C: 61mg | Calcium: 179mg | Iron: 2mg