Fresh Strawberry Spinach Salad (Printable)

Bright strawberries and fresh spinach tossed with nuts and creamy poppyseed dressing create a refreshing combo.

# 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:

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

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It's ready in 15 minutes, which means you can actually make this on a weeknight instead of just thinking about it.
  • The poppyseed dressing tastes indulgent but contains nothing you can't pronounce or find in your kitchen right now.
  • Sweet strawberries and creamy feta feel unexpected together until you taste them, and then they feel inevitable.
02 -
  • Do not make this salad ahead of time or dress it in advance, no matter how convenient that sounds—the spinach will wilt and the strawberries will become mushy within 20 minutes.
  • The dressing tastes better when everything is cold, so chill your ingredients for a few minutes before assembling if your kitchen is warm.
03 -
  • Buy strawberries that smell fragrant and feel slightly soft to the touch—they'll taste infinitely better than firm, flavorless supermarket berries.
  • If your dressing breaks and looks separated, whisk in another teaspoon of Greek yogurt or honey to bring it back together.
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