Spinach Strawberry Fresh Salad (Printable)

A fresh mix of spinach, strawberries, nuts, and a sweet poppy seed dressing for light meals.

# What You 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 thinly sliced red onion (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

# Steps:

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

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in 15 minutes, which means you can make it while your coffee is still warm.
  • The sweetness of strawberries against creamy feta and earthy spinach feels balanced in a way that surprises you each time.
  • That poppy seed dressing is so good you'll find yourself drizzling it on everything else in your fridge.
02 -
  • Don't prep the strawberries more than an hour ahead—they'll start releasing juice and making everything watery, which sounds fine until you actually taste it.
  • If your dressing breaks and looks grainy instead of creamy, start over with just the mustard and vinegar, then slowly whisk in the oil while you're whisking, not shaking—this happened to me once and changed how I think about emulsions.
03 -
  • Toast your own nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for five minutes if you have time—the difference between store-bought and home-toasted is like the difference between watching a sunset and being in the sunset.
  • If you're making this ahead for an event, keep the spinach and dressing completely separate until the last possible moment, then assemble in front of your guests so they see how beautiful it is before anyone touches it.
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