Description
A fresh, vibrant, and easy-to-make strawberry spinach salad with a tangy poppy seed dressing. This balanced dish combines sweet berries, savory goat cheese, and crunchy toasted nuts for a perfect sweet and savory experience.
Ingredients
Scale
- 6 ounces (170g) baby spinach, washed and dried
- 1 pint (450g) fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced into quarter-inch pieces
- 4 ounces (115g) goat cheese, crumbled
- ½ cup (60g) walnuts or pecans, chopped and toasted
- 3 tablespoons (45ml) apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup (120ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) honey
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Toast the walnuts or pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Remove from heat and let cool completely.
- In a small jar with a tight lid, combine apple cider vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, poppy seeds, salt, and pepper. Shake vigorously for 30 seconds.
- Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while continuing to shake the jar to emulsify the dressing. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Ensure the baby spinach is completely dry. Hull and slice the strawberries into uniform quarter-inch pieces.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the spinach and drizzle with about half of the dressing. Toss gently with tongs to coat lightly.
- Add the sliced strawberries, crumbled goat cheese, and toasted nuts to the bowl.
- Drizzle with the remaining dressing and toss gently again to combine.
- Serve immediately on a platter or individual plates.
Notes
[‘Keep the greens completely dry to prevent a soggy salad.’, ‘Toast nuts for enhanced flavor and crunch.’, ‘Use room temperature berries for better texture and flavor integration.’, ‘Dress the salad just before serving to keep spinach crisp.’, ‘Do not store dressed salad; store components separately if meal prepping.’, ‘Do not reheat; serve cold or at room temperature.’]
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of the total sal
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 12
- Sodium: 220
- Fat: 22
- Saturated Fat: 6
- Carbohydrates: 18
- Fiber: 4
- Protein: 8
Keywords: strawberry spinach salad, poppy seed dressing, easy salad, healthy lunch, summer salad, goat cheese salad, quick dinner, vegetarian recipe