What Makes This Recipe So Good?
Ingredients and Substitutions
This baby spinach salad with strawberries and feta cheese requires just a handful of ingredients. Here is everything you need: Adding creamy feta cheese and crunchy almonds provides an excellent textural contrast for sweet, ripe strawberries. This quick to make baby spinach salad is also loaded with nutrients like vitamin A and potassium, meaning you can feel good about eating as much as you like. This simple strawberry spinach salad recipe deserves a permanent spot in your arsenal. I can almost guarantee that it will make repeat appearances during strawberry season. It is perfect for a light lunch or as a side for picnics and barbecues. If you’d like to shake things up a bit, here are some suggestions for possible substitutions:
Spinach : feel free to swap out the spinach with your favorite greens. Peppery arugula (rocket), spring mix or even kale would be delicious. You can also go for half spinach and half arugula blend for this salad.Strawberries : once strawberry season is over, feel free to keep the party going by subbing in other berries, apples, pears, mandarin oranges or pineapple.Almonds : if you don’t have almonds on hand, feel free to substitute any other toasted or candied nuts or seeds that tickle your fancy. Pecans, walnuts, pistachios or pine nuts are all natural complements to the other flavors.Feta Cheese : if feta isn’t your favorite, try using creamy goat cheese or tangy blue cheese instead.
Spinach and Strawberry Salad Dressing Ingredients
This simple, lightly sweet vinaigrette requires common ingredients you likely already have on hand like olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Here is everything you need: A few notes to consider:
Maple Syrup : while this is my preferred sweetener, you can opt to use agave or honey instead.Apple Cider Vinegar : depending on what you have on hand, you can also use balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar or rice wine vinegar.Lime Juice : whenever possible, use fresh citrus juice for the best flavor. You can easily substitute lemon juice instead.
How to Make Strawberry Spinach Salad
Making this spinach salad is as easy as 1-2-3. First, whisk together the dressing ingredients in the bottom of your salad mixing bowl. Add the baby spinach, fresh sliced strawberries and chopped almond to the bowl. Gently toss everything together until the leaves are well coated, being sure not to bruise the leaves. TIP: The best way to toss a salad is actually using your hands! This will allow you to easily distribute the ingredients without bruising the greens or fruit with metal tongs or spoons. When the salad is well tossed, top with feta cheese crumbles and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Optional Salad Add-Ins
While I am of the opinion that this spinach strawberry salad is perfect just as is, you can feel free to add a bit of heft to turn it into an entrée portion if you prefer. Here are some ideas to get you started:
Seeds : toasted sunflower seeds, hemp hearts or chia seeds will all add a bit of protein and crunch.Protein : grilled chicken or shrimp would pair nicely.Avocado : to add more creaminess without extra dairy, avocado is a natural option.Red Onion : if you’d like a bit more of a spicy bite, try adding some sliced raw red onions. They’ll have the dual benefit of looking gorgeous, too.
Serving Suggestions
During the spring, you’re likely to catch me eating some variation of this delicious spinach strawberry salad several times a week. It’s a perfect snack for after a workout, an appetizer course for dinner, or as a light lunch with your gal pals. The strawberries and feta keep things interesting enough to serve it as a side salad for your favorite grill out foods like chicken, burgers or steak. And if you pile your plate high enough, you can eat it as a meal all by itself. Call me strange, but I love salads, even in the morning! The fact that this yummy salad has fruit in it also makes it a great option for serving alongside your favorite breakfast or brunch items. No matter how you serve it, I’m certain you’ll love this spinach salad with strawberries, feta and almonds. It’s just the bee’s knees.
Need more salad inspiration? Check out these other tasty recipes:
Healthy Onion Cucumber Tomato SaladWinter Fruit SaladTomato Avocado Corn SaladArugula Apple Pear Pomegranate Fall Salad
Did you try this recipe for my Strawberry Spinach Salad? Please let me know how you liked it by commenting below! If you’d like more recipe ideas, feel free to follow me on Pinterest, Instagram or Facebook. I’m always cooking up something new!
📖 Recipe
