Strawberry Spinach with Poppy (Printable)
Bright salad featuring strawberries, baby spinach, pecans, and a zesty poppy seed dressing.
# What You'll Need:
→ Salad
01 - 6 cups baby spinach, washed and dried
02 - 1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
03 - 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
04 - 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
05 - 1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
→ Poppy Seed Vinaigrette
06 - 1/4 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 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
12 - 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
# How-To Steps:
01 - In a large salad bowl, mix spinach, sliced strawberries, red onion, crumbled feta, and toasted pecans until evenly distributed.
02 - In a small bowl or jar, whisk together olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey, poppy seeds, Dijon mustard, salt, and black pepper until emulsified.
03 - Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad and toss gently to coat all ingredients evenly.
04 - Serve immediately for optimal freshness and flavor.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- It comes together in minutes, which means you can have something vibrant on the table faster than you'd think possible.
- The poppy seed vinaigrette tastes homemade without requiring any fancy techniques or equipment.
- Sweet, tangy, and crunchy all happen at once—it's the kind of salad that actually satisfies rather than feels like an obligation.
02 -
- Don't dress the salad until the last possible moment before eating, or the spinach will wilt and the strawberries will release their juice into everything.
- If your vinaigrette tastes too sharp, a tiny bit more honey fixes it—taste and adjust as you go because everyone's palate is different.
03 -
- Make the vinaigrette in a jar and shake it vigorously—the movement helps everything emulsify better than whisking sometimes does.
- Toast your nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for two or three minutes, shaking occasionally, and your whole salad tastes like you put in twice the effort.