This strawberry spinach salad recipe is topped with avocado, red onion, feta, and toasted almonds, and drizzled with poppy seed dressing. The perfect salad for spring and summer!
This is one of those salads that you will love after the first bite and want to add to your spring and summer salad menu. It’s just such a good salad, and then it looks so pretty in a clear glass bowl. To be honest, I never wanted fruit in their salad, but then I tried this recipe with fresh strawberries, and I’ve never turned back. It’s my favorite to whip up in those hot summer months; it’s such a refreshing bite.
Table of Contents
Ingredients for Strawberry Spinach Salad
This salad is best served freshly made after being tossed and mixed together. This salad has a crunchy texture from the poppy seed dressing, a soft fruity texture from the fresh strawberries, and then smooth avocado chunks.
- Baby Spinach I like to use baby spinach in this recipe, but you can use baby kale too. Wash and dry gently before using.
- Strawberries cut them in half or quartered depending on the size of your fresh strawberries.
- Avocado There is something about adding avocado to a salad that gives it such a creamy and deliciously flavorful texture.
- Red Onion The combination of strawberries and red onion is really a great one; you can leave them sliced or chop them finely.
- Almonds I like to buy them already sliced or chopped for easy prep. I also like to use walnuts, pecans, or pistachios (I find they add a nice sweetness to the salad).
- Feta Cheese crumble the cheese over the salad to add a little bit of saltiness and a tangy flavor.
Ingredients for Poppy Seed Dressing
- Mayonnaise This acts as a creamy base for the dressing.
- Milk I like to use 2% or whole milk to add to the creaminess, but you can use any type of milk.
- Sugar for a hint of sweetness.
- Cider Vinegar This adds a tangy flavor and tastes great with fresh greens like spinach. As an alternative, you can also use red wine vinegar. (and it will give it a pink color to your dressing.
- Poppy Seeds are always a hit in salads and add the perfect amount of texture.
Dairy Free Options
If you are wanting to make this a dairy-free version, this can easily be done by using a dairy-free mayonnaise or vegan mayo and then using your favorite dairy-free milk, like oat milk or nut milk. Then the final way of making this dairy-free would be the cheese crumbles, and there are some great vegan cheeses that crumble beautifully for this salad.
How to make Strawberry Spinach Salad
Each ingredient in this salad is picked specifically to pack as much flavor as possible into this simple salad. You’ll only need a few basic ingredients, and you will have a great little salad.
- Combine spinach, strawberries, red onion, avocados, almonds (or your chosen nut), and feta cheese.
- Whisk in a small bowl whisk together mayonnaise, milk, sugar, cider vinegar (or red wine vinegar.), and poppy seeds
- Toss half of the dressing over the salad until coated and then add more dressing if needed. (it’s easier to add more than it is to over-dress the salad.)
- Serve salad right away after you put the dressing on it.
Variations
- Different Fruit This salad is wonderful in the way that you can use a variety of different fruits, like fresh blueberries, peaches, pears, pomegranates, or a mixture.
- Different nuts there are a variety of nuts that can be used pistachios, pine nuts, walnuts, pecans, or sunflower seeds are all great alternatives.
Delicious Strawberry Spinach Salad
Ingredients
Salad
- 6 cups fresh baby spinach rinsed
- 1 pint strawberries
- 2 avocados
- ¼ cup feta cheese crumbled
- ½ small red onion sliced or chopped
- ⅓ cup almonds sliced and toasted
Poppy Seed Dressing
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup milk
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 4 tsp cider vinegar or red wine vinegar
- 2 tsp poppy seeds
Instructions
- Serve salad immediately and garnish with more feta cheese and almonds if desired.
Strawberries and spinach! I would never have put these together but this looks yummy!!
This sounds fabulous and perfect for summer! I will be saving this one to try; the dressing especially sounds amazing!
This recipe for strawberry spinach salad is very interesting. I love the addition of avocado and feta cheese. The poppy seed dressing recipe is simple as well. Thank you!
The strawberry green salad looks so delicious. I do plan on trying this. I remember ordering a strawberry salad from LongHorn and it was delcious!
This strawberry spinach salad is perfect for summer. I love all the ingredients and can’t wait to enjoy it! Thank you for the recipe!
I love this recipe for delicious strawberry spinach salad, especially the idea of adding almonds. The dressing is also wonderful. Thanks for sharing!
Definitely making this! 🙂
Thats Great!