Strawberry Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

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Blend sweet and savory flavors in this incredible strawberry spinach salad, perfect for BBQs, summer dinners and so much more. This strawberry salad recipe is so simple, yet packed with healthful ingredients to be a nutritional powerhouse.

Strawberry spinach salad topped with feta

I’m here to officially ban boring salads. Nobody likes them – and they’re probably the reason why salads get such a bad rep. No one wants some wilting lettuce or greasy dressing. So I’m on a mission to make salads exciting again and this amazing strawberry spinach salad recipe is my starting point.

Don’t be put off by the blend of fruits and veggies in this recipe – they’re surprisingly complimentary! Using the best produce of the season, I’m bringing a little bit of sunshine to your plate with fresh strawberries, spinach, and crumbly feta cheese.

This spinach strawberry salad recipe is packed full of great seasonal flavors. It is the perfect thing to bring to your next BBQ, potluck, or backyard party. I’m sure everyone will love this salad and will be asking for more.

Why Spinach with Strawberries

Not only does spinach strawberry salad give you double the nutrients, but these two ingredients share a lot of goodness. Both the sweet fruit and leafy greens needed for strawberry spinach salad are full of fiber. Plus, they are high in Vitamin E, Zinc, and Thiamine. They’re great to integrate into your diet – especially if you’re wanting to keep your immunity up before winter.

Strawberry spinach salad topped with feta and walnuts

Strawberries are super low-calorie and actually contain more Vitamin C per serving than an orange. One cup of the berries has 100% of your daily recommended requirement. These potent berries can also help improve cognitive function, act as an anti-inflammatory, regulate blood sugar and support your digestion.

Spinach is also high in Vitamin C and fiber. It helps the ordinary function of the immune system and the brain. Spinach can also support weight management and help to manage blood pressure.

If you are not sure how to incorporate more spinach into your diet, you can “hide” it in recipes. These are great options – Spinach and Blackberry Salad or Oatmeal Spinach Pancakes.

What’s in Strawberry Spinach Salad

The strawberry spinach salad ingredients are simple and you might already have them in your pantry or fridge.

Ingredients for strawberry spinach salad

Strawberries: Fresh strawberries are best. Strawberries are in season during the summer, so you can them up at your local farmer’s market or grocery store.
Spinach: Baby spinach works best here because the leaves are more manageable. Go for fresh over frozen so you’re not dealing with soggy spinach.
Walnuts: Another antioxidant-rich ingredient, walnuts give texture and crunch to salads. If you’re not a fan of walnuts, swap them out for candied pecans or completely omit them. Or you can replace them with toasted sunflower seeds.
Feta cheese: Feta is super crumbly and full of flavor, making it the perfect complement to spinach strawberry salad. Great alternatives are goat cheese and blue cheese if you don’t have feta to hand.
Dressing: My delicious poppyseed dressing is so easy to make. You’ll need poppy seeds, Dijon mustard, salt, extra virgin olive oil, white wine vinegar, and sugar. You can also make a balsamic dressing with strawberry jam or use this strawberry vinaigrette.

Homemade Poppyseed Dressing

Mix all of the dressing ingredients and whisk well in a small bowl. Place in a small jar – or a cocktail shaker if you’ve got one! – and shake vigorously until combined.

Any extras of the salad dressing can be kept in the refrigerator in a clean air-tight jar. Use within a few weeks of making.

How to Make the Best Strawberry Salad

For this strawberry salad recipe, remove the green stems from the strawberries. Then slice them in half or quarters, depending on the size of the fruit.

Wash and pat dry the spinach.

Steps for prepping strawberries and spinach

If needed, crumble the feta cheese or cut it into small cubes.

Place the strawberries and spinach in a large bowl, then add the cheese crumbles and the rest of the ingredients. Pour over the dressing and toss to combine.

If making ahead, keep the dressing on the side and add when ready to serve. This will stop the spinach salad from wilting before it’s ready to eat.

Strawberry salad with poppy seed dressing

The dressed strawberry spinach salad recipe is best consumed immediately or within a day. However, you can keep undressed salad in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Add the vinaigrette shortly before serving.

What to Serve with Strawberry Salad

Spinach strawberry salad is best served with other amazing summer recipes, like:

Grains – you can serve it along (or mixed in with) some cooked quinoa, pasta, etc.
It’s a great side dish to fresh fish, like roasted salmon.
Serve with a simple roasted chicken and rosemary baby potatoes or roasted onions (especially if you use red onions).
Or, add it to my staple avocado toast – especially if you’re serving with balsamic vinegar. Strawberries and balsamic vinaigrette work surprisingly well together.

A bowl with strawberry spinach salad and feta cheese

FAQs

Should you cut spinach for salads?

It depends on the spinach you have. If the stems are thick, cut them off. If they’re thin, you can leave them be.
Spinach stems are edible but they don’t taste very nice and could ruin the taste of the spinach salad.

More Summer Salads

Looking for more summer salad inspiration? Check my collection of The Best Summer Salads!

If you try this strawberry spinach salad recipe, I’d love to hear your thoughts and questions below. Also, I’d appreciate a recipe card rating below, and feel free to tag me in your recipe recreations on Instagram @Alphafoodie!