Easy 10 Minute Strawberry Spinach Salad Recipe

Best Ever Spinach Strawberry Salad

I don’t know about you, but I’m always looking for fresh dishes to bring to that next summer BBQ. Usually, I’ll bring my creamy bacon potato salad or my Asian cucumber salad. And with all the fresh summer produce, anything with berries is a must! This fresh and zesty strawberry salad with spinach is the stuff dreams are made of. You’re definitely gonna want to bring this to your next summer get-together. Or, add grilled chicken and avocado to make this into a meal salad.

Our family is a huge fan of strawberries. We go through like 4 cartons a week, and I use them in everything from a strawberry salsa over salmon to a frozen strawberry margarita. They’re also the perfect way to brighten up your typical spinach salad!

Ingredients Needed

Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this easy summer strawberry salad. Refer to the printable recipe card below the post for the full list with amounts.

• Strawberries – These are the stars of this spinach and strawberry salad. I like to cut the berries into slices and quarters for a variety of sizes.
• Spinach – This leafy green pairs well with strawberries. Other darker greens, like arugula or romaine, also work well in this salad.
• Pecans – Some recipes include toasted or candied pecans, but since it’s summer, I like to go au naturel and use raw, chopped pecans. Feel free to toast them if you’d like!
• Red Onion – I prefer mild red onion in salads, but a mild white onion is fine to use.
• Feta Cheese – For a salty contrast to the sweet berries. Goat cheese or shaved Parmesan cheese are great alternatives.
• Basil – Fresh, lemony basil brightens up the flavors. Mint would taste amazing here, too!
• White Balsamic Vinegar – White balsamic is my favorite for summer salad dressings as it’s a bit lighter than traditional balsamic vinegar, but still gives you that sweet-tangy punch.
• Olive Oil – You’ll need this for the dressing. Use cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil.
• Garlic – I love fresh garlic in my salad dressings! Garlic powder works in a pinch. Substitute 1/2 teaspoon of powder per fresh garlic clove.
• Honey – Honey helps to sweeten and emulsify the dressing.
• Mustard – Dijon or stone-ground mustard is best.

How to Hull Strawberries

Hulling strawberries means removing the green leafy stems. There are a few ways that you can do this.

• Use a paring knife. The long-ish way is to use a sharp paring knife to trim the green bits, leaving as much of the red berry intact as possible.
• Straw method. Use a sturdy straw and poke it through the bottom of the strawberry, right through to the top. The green stem should pop right off! This method works surprisingly well.

How to Make a Spinach and Strawberry Salad

You gotta love it when a side dish comes together in 10 minutes! No cook time. Just a few slices, a whisk of the dressing, and you’re good to go. Here’s how to make this easy spinach strawberry salad.

1. Make the dressing. I like to make the salad dressing first so the flavors have a chance to come together. Combine garlic, Dijon mustard, honey, white balsamic vinegar, olive oil, fresh basil, salt, and pepper in a glass or bowl. Whisk vigorously until the oil and vinegar emulsify (no longer separate). Set the dressing aside while you prepare the salad.
2. Hull the strawberries. Remove the green stems from the strawberries, and then slice or quarter them. Thinly slice the red onion while you’re at it.
3. Assemble the salad. To a large bowl, add your spinach leaves, chopped strawberries, pecans, and red onion. Crumble over the feta cheese. If you’re serving right away, drizzle the dressing over the salad and give it a toss (or serve the dressing on the side). Enjoy!

Optional Dressings

I’m a sucker for a good balsamic vinaigrette, and I feel like it pairs really well with this spinach and strawberry salad. However, I’ve also served it with the dressings below with delicious results. Honestly, you can’t go wrong.

• Cilantro Lime Dressing
• Honey Dijon Dressing
• Maple Dijon Dressing
• Creamy Avocado Dressing

Can I Make This In Advance?

Yes, you can absolutely make this strawberry spinach salad in advance. Prep all the components of the salad and store in separate containers in the refrigerator. Then, when you are ready to serve, just toss everything together and serve.

As a side note, I usually never have next-day salad if it is dressed. I find that once you add dressing to a salad you need to eat it immediately or the greens will wilt. At times, I like to serve the dressing on the side and allow people to add their own amount. This also allows you to keep any leftover salad until the next day, instead of it becoming soggy from the dressing.

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More Favorite Summer Salad Recipes

• Grilled Steak Fajita Salad
• Prosciutto and Melon Salad
• Greek Salad with Grilled Chicken
• Watermelon Feta Salad with Cucumber
• Grilled Peach Chicken Salad