It’s weird how the weather changes in a snap. Just when it was getting warm last week, it begins to cool down. I made this spinach and strawberry salad last week on a nice warm day. Fast forward to yesterday, and this salad was our lunch again. That’s twice in two weeks! And no complaints of this repeat 😀 As I mentioned in my previous post, I’d be sharing more salad recipes on the blog. So let me start off with this gorgeous spinach strawberry goat cheese salad. This spinach and strawberry salad dressed with my delicious homemade balsamic dressing will soon become one of your favorite salads. Greens, fruit, cheese, nuts, all wrapped in one salad, seriously so good!
WHAT TO PUT IN STRAWBERRY AND SPINACH SALAD?
Besides, strawberry and spinach, of course, you can add whatever you like into this spinach strawberry salad. I’ve kept the ingredients minimal and used the following,
Baby spinach and spring mix: I did a mix of 50/50 baby spinach and spring mix, simply to add more color to this salad. It is just as good with just baby spinach as well. Lots of fresh strawberries Thinly sliced red onion: If you don’t like raw onions in your salad, leave them out, it won’t matter. Here’s a tip though to remove that pungency of raw onions. Simply soak the sliced onions in cold water for 10 minutes. Discard the water and your onions are all ready for any salad. Nuts: I’ve used toasted pecans, but you could also use other nuts like walnuts, pistachios, cashew nuts or almonds. For a really delicious twist, use candied pecans. They make this salad even better. Of course, if you are watching your sugar intake, stick to the dry toasted pecans, like I’ve used today here. Cheese: I’ve used Goat cheese for this spinach salad with strawberries. I love the creaminess of goat cheese, that compliments the sweetness of the fresh, juicy strawberries really well! You can also opt-in for feta cheese, blue cheese, gorgonzola or any other cheese of your choice. Other topping options: Cooked and crumbled bacon, homemade croutons, cranberries etc
I sometimes make a strawberry chicken spinach salad by adding some diced rotisserie chicken breasts. The addition of protein makes it a really hearty and healthy meal. So good!
STRAWBERRY SPINACH SALAD DRESSING
I dressed this spinach salad with my tangy-sweet, and smooth balsamic vinaigrette! A bite of this strawberry spinach pecan salad is like a summer party in your mouth! We are obsessed with this salad and enjoy it frequently. Though we think that the best dressing for strawberry spinach salad is balsamic vinaigrette, that’s totally a matter of preference. Here are some more delicious salad dressing options that you can choose to dress up a strawberry spinach salad with goat cheese.
Citrus/lemon dressing Poppyseed dressing Strawberry vinaigrette Raspberry vinaigrette.
I don’t have these recipes on the blog yet, but I hope to share some of these soon.
HERE ARE SOME MORE VARIATIONS TO THIS DELICIOUS STRAWBERRY SPINACH SALAD
Strawberry kiwi spinach salad: Peel and slice a kiwi and add to this recipe. Strawberry orange spinach salad: Add orange segments along with the sliced strawberries. You can add any variety of orange, Cara Cara, Navel, Blood Oranges, mandarins, tangerines, they all work great and add a nice citrusy note to this salad. Spinach salad with strawberries and feta: Use crumbled feta cheese instead of goat cheese. Strawberry pasta spinach salad: Use your favorite pasta, about 2 cups of dried pasta, cooked as per package instructions, drained, cooled and add it to the salad. Strawberry-blueberry spinach salad: Swap out the strawberries with blueberries or use any other summer berry of your choice or better still a mix of berries. Strawberry avocado spinach salad: Add a diced avocado in this salad. I love adding avocados to this salad if I happen to have some at hand. It adds a nice creamy flair, and also boosts the nutritional value of the salad with some healthy fats! Highly recommended!
DO CHECK OUT THESE DELICIOUS SUMMER SALADS TOO
Caprese Salad Watermelon Cucumber Feta Salad Mediterranean Quinoa and Chickpea Salad
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE STRAWBERRY AND SPINACH SALAD | SPINACH SALAD WITH STRAWBERRIES AND PECANS
1.Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the pecans, and toast them for a few minutes until they begin to brown and turn fragrant. Transfer from the skillet to a plate and let it cool completely.
2.Wash and hull the strawberries and cut into 1/4 inch thick slices.
3.Dress up the greens first: Place the greens in a large bowl, drizzle about 2 tbsp of dressing. Toss the leaves gently with your hands to coat the leaves well.
4.Place the dressed up greens in a shallow bowl, top with strawberries, sliced onions, pecans, and cheese. You could place all the ingredients in separate bowls, and let each person assemble their salad in a plate or small wide bowl instead.
5.Drizzle some more balsamic dressing, reserving the rest to serve along with the salad if required. Toss very gently and serve right away.
NOTES
This salad is best served cold. Use refrigerated spinach and strawberries. Make sure the greens are completely dry. Do not dress up the salad until ready to serve. The greens will begin to wilt the longer it sits. You can chop up the toasted pecans into smaller pieces.
HOW TO MAKE STRAWBERRY SPINACH SALAD WITH BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE RECIPE?
If you haven’t tried this yet, please do give it a go! I am certain you will enjoy this summer spinach salad with strawberries as much as we do! I would love to hear from you if you do! Please feel free to share your feedback with photos and suggestions to me at [email protected] You can also follow me on : Facebook Pinterest Instagram Twitter Regards, Freda
