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Vibrant Strawberry Spinach Salad Recipe with Easy Creamy Poppy Seed Dressing

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A fresh and bright salad combining ripe strawberries, tender baby spinach, and a luscious creamy poppy seed dressing. Perfect for quick meals, potlucks, or as a colorful side dish.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 6 cups baby spinach (about 180 grams), fresh and washed
  • 2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced (about 300 grams)
  • ¼ cup red onion, thinly sliced (about 35 grams)
  • ½ cup slivered almonds (about 50 grams), toasted
  • ½ cup crumbled feta cheese (about 75 grams), optional
  • ⅓ cup mayonnaise (about 80 ml)
  • ⅓ cup Greek yogurt (about 80 grams)
  • 2 tablespoons honey (about 30 ml)
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (about 30 ml)
  • 1 tablespoon poppy seeds (about 9 grams)
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (about 5 ml)
  • Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Prepare the ingredients: rinse and dry baby spinach, slice strawberries about ¼-inch thick, thinly slice red onion, and toast slivered almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3-4 minutes until golden and fragrant. Set aside to cool.
  2. Make the creamy poppy seed dressing: in a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, honey, apple cider vinegar, poppy seeds, and Dijon mustard until smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add water a teaspoon at a time if dressing is too thick.
  3. Assemble the salad: in a large salad bowl, combine baby spinach, sliced strawberries, and red onion. Pour about ¾ of the dressing over the salad and gently toss to coat evenly. Add more dressing if desired.
  4. Add final touches: sprinkle toasted almonds and optional crumbled feta cheese evenly over the top. Toss gently to distribute toppings without bruising the strawberries or spinach.
  5. Serve immediately for best freshness. If prepping ahead, keep dressing separate and toss just before serving to avoid sogginess.

Notes

Toast almonds until golden but not burnt to enhance flavor. Dry spinach thoroughly to prevent sogginess. Whisk dressing ingredients in order for best emulsification. Add water or milk to thin dressing if needed. Toss salad gently to avoid bruising strawberries and wilting spinach. Keep dressing separate if prepping ahead.

Nutrition

Keywords: strawberry spinach salad, creamy poppy seed dressing, fresh salad, healthy salad, quick salad recipe, summer salad, easy salad

Find it online: https://tempotaste.com/vibrant-strawberry-spinach-salad-recipe-with-easy-creamy-poppy-seed-dressing/