Springtime Strawberry Spinach Salad
A vibrant and refreshing salad featuring tender spinach, sweet strawberries, creamy goat cheese, crunchy pecans, and a delicate poppy seed dressing. Perfect as a light main course or an elegant side.
Ingredients
- •8 oz fresh baby spinach
- •2 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
- •4 oz goat cheese, crumbled
- •0.5 cup pecan halves, roughly chopped
- •0.25 medium red onion, thinly sliced
- •0.5 cup extra virgin olive oil
- •3 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- •2 tablespoon honey
- •1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- •1 teaspoon poppy seeds
- •0.5 teaspoon salt
- •0.25 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- 1.
Preheat a small, dry skillet over medium-low heat. Add the chopped pecans and toast, stirring frequently, for 3-5 minutes until fragrant and lightly browned. Be careful not to burn them. Remove from heat and set aside to cool completely.
- 2.
Prepare the poppy seed dressing: In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, poppy seeds, salt, and black pepper until well combined and emulsified. If using a jar, you can simply shake it vigorously.
- 3.
In a large salad bowl, combine the fresh baby spinach, sliced strawberries, cooled toasted pecans, and thinly sliced red onion.
- 4.
Just before serving, drizzle about half of the prepared dressing over the salad ingredients. Gently toss to coat everything evenly. Add more dressing to taste, if desired.
- 5.
Sprinkle the crumbled goat cheese over the top of the salad. Serve immediately as a refreshing main course or a substantial side dish.
Tips
- 💡For an added protein boost, grill or pan-sear chicken breast or salmon, slice, and add it to the salad.
- 💡To save time, you can prepare the dressing up to 2 days in advance and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Shake well before using.
- 💡If you don't have goat cheese, crumbled feta cheese or blue cheese can be a delicious alternative, though it will change the flavor profile slightly.
- 💡For extra crunch, consider adding a handful of croutons or sunflower seeds.
- 💡Always dress the salad just before serving to prevent the spinach from wilting and becoming soggy.
Recipe from TheCookbook.ai
Created by Basil Roux