Spinach Strawberry Salad with Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing has freshness written all over it. It’s filled with tender spinach, summer strawberries, red onions and toasted almonds all dressed with a sweet, tangy lemon poppy seed dressing. Perfect as light summer meal, for a potluck, or as a co-star with any main dish.
On a balmy summer night this cool, crisp strawberry salad with spinach drizzled with an easy lemon poppy seed vinaigrette is perfect for dining out al fresco with a glass of rosé. Every ingredient in this spinach strawberry salad gives you a nice balance of sweet, savoury and tart flavours. I guarantee this salad will be a serious crowd pleaser.
This green salad with strawberries is always my go-to summer salad when locally grown strawberries are in season. Not only is this spinach and strawberry salad recipe appealing, it’s also ideal if you are practicing a nutritious diet since it’s filled with good for you ingredients that will increase your fresh fruit and veggie in take in a delicious way.
Why You’ll Love This Summer Spinach Salad with Strawberries
- Vibrant and Fresh - Includes ingredients with bright flavours and colours. Matched perfectly with a zesty mayonnaise-free lemon poppy seed dressing made with freshly squeezed lemons, honey for sweetness and poppy seeds for a little crunch.
- Quick and Healthy – Comes together easily in one bowl in about 20 minutes with minimal work. Plus it contains lots of nutritional qualities, from the nutrient rich spinach, anti-oxidizing strawberries and protein filled almonds making it a healthy summer salad to enjoy as a main dish or a side.
Ingredients for Spinach Strawberry Salad with Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing
(Ingredient amounts are listed in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post)
For the Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing
- Canola or vegetable oil and olive oil – An equal mix of oils creates the perfect texture for the dressing.
- Shallot – Grate the shallot on a rasp and it will add a mellow onion flavour to the dressing.
- Lemons – Zest the lemon first then squeeze it for fresh juice for the dressing.
- Honey – Adds a nice natural sweetness to the dressing.
- Dijon mustard – Helps emulsify the dressing and also adds a nice sharp flavour.
- Poppy Seeds – They add a nutty flavour and a little crunch to the salad dressing.
For the Salad Ingredients
- Spinach – A clamshell container of pre-washed baby spinach is the perfect green for this salad. If you are not partial to spinach you can easily substitute it with tender mixed greens or arugula.
- Strawberries – Use locally grown fresh strawberries for the juiciest and sweetest results.
- Red Onion – Balances nicely with the sweetness of the salad.
- Toasted sliced almonds – Toast sliced almonds in a skillet over medium heat until lightly golden then cool completely.
- Lemons – Sliced lemons make a nice garnish for the salad.
How to Make the Best Strawberry Spinach Salad
(Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the recipe card below.)
- In a medium bowl whisk the dressing ingredients together until combined and emulsified.
- In a large salad bowl add the spinach and drizzle it with some of the dressing.
- Arrange strawberries and red onion on top, drizzle with a little more dressing. then top with toasted almonds and lemon slices.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
It sure is! Spinach is full of protein and contains many nutrients. The benefit of eating raw spinach is that it retains all its vitamins which typically escape during cooking. Plus, the strawberries in the salad are a great source of Vitamin C, and the almonds are filled with protein. Lots of good reasons to eat this salad!
This salad does not include cheese but if you wish to add cheese you could. I recommend adding one of these which would all balance nicely with the sweet and tangy flavours in the salad: gorgonzola cheese; goat cheese; feta cheese; or blue cheese.
When fresh local strawberries are just not available – you can still make this salad and replace the strawberries with blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, apples, pears or drained canned mandarin oranges.
Make Ahead and Storage Tips
- Make dressing ahead. Store dressing in a sealed jar in refrigerator where it will keep for a few days. Before using, bring it to room temperature and shake well.
- Assemble salad ingredients ahead. To avoid the salad becoming soggy, wait to drizzle the dressing on the assembled salad ingredients until just before ready to serve it.
- Leftovers don’t keep well. Since the dressing will cause the spinach to wilt and become soggy it’s best to only add dressing to the portion of salad you need.
- Make small salads during the week. Assemble the portions you need without the dressing, store everything in the refrigerator and dress portions when needed.
What to Serve with Spinach Strawberry Salad
Any lean proteins such as chicken or fish pair beautifully with this salad. For those who practice a vegetarian diet, add chickpeas to the salad for extra protein.
Other fresh salads to try:
Mixed Greens Orange Salad with Goat Cheese
Recipe
Spinach Strawberry Salad with Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing
Spinach Strawberry Salad with Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing is filled with tender spinach, summer strawberries, red onions, toasted almonds and a sweet and tangy lemon poppy seed dressing. Perfect for a light summer meal, potluck, or as a co-star with any main dish.
Ingredients
Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing
- ¼ cup canola or vegetable oil
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon grated shallot
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Salad Ingredients
- 6 cups baby spinach 142g (5 oz) clamshell
- 16 strawberries sliced
- ½ small red onion sliced
- ⅓ cup toasted sliced almonds see Recipe Note 3
- Lemon slices for garnish
Instructions
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In a medium bowl add the dressing, canola or vegetable oil, olive oil, grated shallot; lemon zest, lemon juice, honey, Dijon mustard, poppy seeds, salt and pepper. Whisk well until combined and emulsified. Alternatively, shake the ingredients in a sealed jar.
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In a large salad bowl add spinach and drizzle it with about 2 – 3 tablespoons of the dressing. Toss lightly to combine.
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Arrange strawberries and red onion on top of the dressed spinach and drizzle with a little more dressing as desired. Sprinkle top with toasted almonds and garnish with lemon slices. Reserve any remaining dressing for other salads.
Recipe Notes
- Dressing can be made ahead as it keeps for a few days refrigerated; bring it to room temperature and shake well before using.
- To avoid the salad from becoming soggy, wait to drizzle the dressing on the assembled salad until just before ready to serve it.
- Toast almonds in a skillet over medium heat until lightly golden then transfer to a plate to cool completely.
- When strawberries are not available, substitute with raspberries, blackberries, apples, pears or drained canned mandarin oranges.
- If you are not partial to spinach you can easily substitute it with tender mixed greens or arugula.
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