Strawberry Spinach Salad

A summer salad recipe perfect for any occasion, this strawberry spinach salad is easy to make and features a strawberry poppy seed dressing.

Looking for a light and healthy salad to enjoy this summer? Summertime is the perfect time to enjoy fresh salads packed with seasonal fruits and vegetables after all.

Look no further than this Strawberry Spinach Salad Recipe with strawberry poppy seed dressing! With a delicious, tangy dressing and plenty of fresh strawberries and spinach, this is a salad that you’ll love.

The combination of flavors and textures is amazing, and the homemade poppyseed dressing is so tasty that you’ll want to put it on everything.

This is a healthy strawberry spinach salad that my family has been enjoying for a few decades, I am not sure where the original recipe came from, but it sure is a good one! The sweet strawberries and fresh spinach are the perfect pairing for a true crowd pleaser.

This spinach strawberry salad recipe is easy to make and perfect for a light lunch or dinner. Give it a try today!

Why You Will LOVE This Strawberry Spinach Salad

• Light and fresh tasting delicious salad
• Sweet strawberries paired with zesty red onions, crunchy walnuts, and a tangy strawberry poppy seed dressing.
• Always welcomes at potlucks, BBQs, and picnics!
• Stores really well in the fridge
• Can be made ahead of time
• Great side dish
• Easily upgrades to a main dish.
• Super easy to make.

How to Purchase the Best Strawberries

When purchasing strawberries, look for berries that are deep red in colour with a fresh green cap still attached. Avoid any berries that have mould on them or look bruised.

If strawberries are in season make sure the ones you are buying are local to you for the very best flavour. When they are not in season, purchase berries that have been grown in hothouses. These will have a good flavour but won’t be as fragrant as seasonal berries.

The best way to keep juicy strawberries fresh is to store them in the fridge as soon as you get home from the store. Rinse them in cold water just before using.

Tips for the BEST Strawberry Spinach Salad

• Make the dressing ahead of time so it is easier to prepare when ready
• If you are using anything but spinach, do not dress the salad until ready to serve. The spinach holds up well and will not wilt, but other leafy greens may.
• Keep your ingredients chilled until just before assembly for a fresher tasting salad.
• Crumble your cheese your self. Store-bought crumbled cheese just won’t be as creamy in texture.
• Toast your walnuts ahead of time for an even nuttier, crunchier experience.
• Tame the red onion by soaking the slices in cold water for 15-20 minutes prior to assembling the salad.

Strawberry Spinach Salad Variations

This salad is super versatile and it is easy to change up the salad ingredients to suit your tastes.

Fruit Variations

• Fresh summer berries like blueberries, raspberries, blackberries or cherries work well in place of or in addition to the strawberries.
• Apples, pears, and peaches work well too.
• Mandarins are a great option for winter.
• Avocado adds a mild flavoured creaminess that can be pretty delicious.

Protein Variations

• Chopped chicken or cooked shrimp is an obvious choice I think.
• Crumbled bacon could also work well to counter all the sweetness.
• Chopped pork or steak would be pretty tasty too and a great way to upgrade this salad to a full meal.

Nut Variations

• Slivered toasted almonds
• Candied pecans
• Sunflower seeds are a fantastic substitute for anyone with tree nut allergies.

Cheese Variations

• Goat cheese
• Gorgonzola

Green Variations

• Use a mix of half spinach and half arugula for a peppery twist
• Use spring mix
• Kale or romaine are other good options

Dressing Variations

• Balsamic vinegar and oil dressing
• creamy poppy seed dressing
• A sweet poppy seed dressing

What to Serve with Strawberry Spinach Salad

This salad is perfect as a side dish served with grilled chicken steak or salmon. It works well with most summer dinners, and even works as a holiday side dish. Roasted turkey and strawberry spinach salad? Yes, please!

This beautiful salad is always a welcome addition to potlucks, barbecues, and picnics.

You can also upgrade this salad to a complete meal by tossing in some chopped up chicken or shrimp.

How to Store Leftover Strawberry Spinach Salad

Leftover strawberry spinach salad with poppy seed dressing can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Undressed salad can be stored for up to 3-4 days, and is best stored in separate containers. When you’re ready to serve, add a little more dressing to moisten if necessary, and top with fresh strawberries and crumbled feta cheese.

The spinach holds up really well to being stored in the dressing, if you mix in other greens then the salad may not last as long in the fridge.

Do not freeze the salad.

About the Ingredients for Strawberry Spinach Salad

This colourful strawberry spinach salad includes just a handful of fresh ingredients!

Spinach – Fresh baby spinach is best but you can also mix in other hardy greens like arugula. If you use more summery greens then you may want to leave the salad undressed so they don’t wilt.

Red Onion – You want to very thinly slice your red onion. You can also let it sit in cold water about 20 minutes before tossing them into the salad to help mellow out their flavour if you aren’t a big fan of the after-taste.

Walnuts – You can use any nuts here you like. Almonds, pecans, candied nuts, or even sunflower seeds provide a nice textural contrast and nutty flavour.

Strawberries – Use fresh local strawberries if possible for the best flavour.

Feta cheese – You can also substitute with goat cheese or for a stronger flavour, use a crumbled mild blue cheese like Gorgonzola instead!

Dressing – I have included my recipe for homemade poppy seed dressing in the printable card below. You could also use a store bought creamy poppy seed dressing, or a basic balsamic vinaigrette instead. For more details on dressing ingredients, substitutions and storage you will need to check out the full strawberry poppy seed dressing recipe. You will have extra dressing from my recipe but it does store well for up to two weeks!

Looking for More Easy Summer Salads?

Check out more of my favourite summer salad recipes!

Spice up your salad game with this classic Asian chicken salad recipe; it’s easy, delicious, and guaranteed to make dinnertime more exciting!

This is the BEST 5 bean salad recipe for potlucks, BBQs, and picnics! It’s quick, easy, and affordable – a perfect salad for any budget.

This Mexican Macaroni Salad recipe is a very versatile summer salad perfect for picnics and barbecues as as a tasty side dish.

Calabrese pasta salad is wonderful pasta dish featuring roasted red peppers served either warm or cool as a side dish or entrée.

Honey Lime Fruit Salad is made with seasonal fruit and tossed in a fresh lime and honey dressing for a crowd-pleasing summer salad.

How to Make Strawberry Spinach Salad

Yields: 6 Servings | Prep time: 10n Minutes | Cook time: 0 Minutes

Ingredients:

• 10 ounces fresh baby spinach
• 1/4 medium red onion
• 3/4 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1 quart strawberries, cleaned, hulled and sliced
• 3/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
• Strawberry poppy seed dressing

Directions:

In a salad bowl, toss together spinach, red onion, walnuts, strawberries, and feta. Drizzle over with strawberry poppy seed dressing.

Serve immediately.