Fresh Strawberry Spinach Salad (Printable)

Sweet strawberries and tender spinach tossed with crunchy nuts and a creamy poppyseed dressing.

# What You'll 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:

01 - In a large salad bowl, combine the 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 the dressing over the salad just before serving. Toss gently to combine and coat all ingredients evenly.
04 - Serve immediately, garnished with extra nuts or feta cheese if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in 15 minutes with zero cooking, making it perfect for those moments when you want something beautiful but don't want to heat up the kitchen.
  • The dressing is genuinely creamy and tangy without being heavy, so you actually want to eat every bite instead of pushing leaves around your plate.
02 -
  • Dress the salad at the very last second before eating, or the spinach will start to wilt and weep. I learned this by making it an hour ahead for a party and watching it turn into a sad pile of regret.
  • The dressing keeps in a jar in the fridge for up to five days, so you can make it ahead and just finish the salad components the morning of. This is the secret to looking put-together without actually doing much work.
03 -
  • Make extra dressing because you'll want it on other salads, roasted vegetables, or even as a side for grilled fish or chicken.
  • If your Greek yogurt is very thick, thin it with a splash of water or milk so the dressing coats everything evenly instead of being too chunky.
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