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This strawberry spinach salad is made with fresh strawberries, spinach and candied nuts. Combine these ingredients and more to create a mouth-watering salad.
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This Strawberry Spinach Salad recipe is one of my favorite salads ever. If I am asked to bring something to a potluck, then I am bringing this salad. If there is an Easter party or Mother’s Day lunch, then I am bringing this salad. Strawberries on sale? I am making this salad. I think you get my drift. It is fresh, fruity, sweet, and crunchy. It comes together in no time at all. My kids even love this salad.
Strawberry Spinach Salad Ingredients
This Strawberry Spinach Salad has just a few simple ingredients.
- Spinach – Spinach and berries just go together so well. I usually use baby spinach since it is easier to eat raw. I have also used spring mix.
- Fresh Strawberries – The star of the show! I like to cut the berries into quarters instead of slicing them.
- Fresh Blueberries – Blueberries are the perfect subtle costar to the strawberries in this salad recipe.
- Candied Pecans – In the recipe below we teach you how to make your own delicious candied pecans.
- Feta Cheese – Feta cheese has such a light and bright flavor. It makes the perfect companion to the berries.
- Poppy Seed Dressing – Poppy seed dressing is sweet yet savory making it the best choice for this salad. Poppy seed dressing is typically made with vinegar, sugar, Dijon mustard, onion, oil, and poppy seeds.
Variations
I love this spinach strawberry salad recipe as written, but I have changed it up a few times over the years. To make this more of a main dish salad, add grilled chicken or sliced avocado. To make it more filling you could add a grain like quinoa or farro. If you don’t like pecans, you can also candy walnuts. Instead of candied nuts, you can use slivered almonds. You can also swap out the feta cheese for goat cheese or gorgonzola.
Other berries are great in this salad too – try raspberries or blackberries. Want to add some more savory elements to this salad? Try red onion or red bell peppers. If you’re not a fan of poppy seed dressing, then try a balsamic dressing instead.
Recipe Tip
Candying your own pecans is so easy and they taste amazing!! You can buy candied nuts for salads, but just try making your own once! All it takes is sugar and nuts and a few minutes in a pan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Spinach can get soggy, so I would not advise making this salad ahead of time. However, you can candy the nuts and dice the strawberries ahead of time. That way, when you are ready to serve, you can just toss everything in a bowl.
Most pre-packaged spinach comes pre-washed, but if you are using fresh spinach, give it a wash. Rinse it in cold water and then dry it using a salad spinner or paper towels.
Blue cheese, feta cheese, and goat cheese are all great creamy cheeses for a sweet salad. You could also use some fresh mozzarella.
More Fruity Salad Recipes
If you love our Strawberry Spinach Salad, then try some of our other sweet salads!
How to Make Strawberry Spinach Salad
Strawberry Spinach Salad
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 10 ounces spinach
- 1 pound strawberries
- 1 cup blueberries
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta
- poppyseed dressing
Instructions
- Add pecans and sugar to a skillet over medium heat and stir constantly until the sugar melts down and coats the pecans. Be patient and don't stop stirring.
- Once the sugar coats the pecans, pour them out onto a baking sheet and separate them a little. Once they have cooled, they are ready for the salad.
- Start assembling the salad by adding spinach to a large bowl.
- Next, dice the strawberries and add them to the spinach. Add blueberries, candied pecans, and feta.
- Toss to combine. Serve on individual plates and dress with poppyseed dressing.
Delicious
This is delicous and super easy to toss together. It goes great with just about anything we toss on the grill!
This is the BEST summer salad! Love the fresh berries and the poppy seed dressing is the perfect compliment. We served ours with grilled chicken and it was just perfect!