The Best Strawberry Spinach Salad

March 14, 2023

Do you love fresh baby spinach? Strawberries? Well, I have a fresh spinach strawberry salad recipe for you!

This strawberry spinach salad is one of the most flavorful and healthy salads ever. It is a treat! You can whip this up with just a few ingredients and is beyond easy to throw together. Most of the items I had on hand and were already in the fridge and pantry.

I made it all complete with a homemade salad dressing, fresh strawberries, candied pecans, and feta cheese. Even your iceberg lettuce and Ranch loving husband will fall in love with this simple recipe!

Now, I cannot take credit for this recipe. However, I did modify a few ingredients due to what I had available in my kitchen. This recipe comes from Boxwood Avenue Blog . Chloe at Boxwood Avenue has some of the best recipes, home decor and designs, and she lives on a ranch. She served it up to a bunch of cowboys and it was a hit. So, I figured I would serve it up to my cowboy.

Eye Appeal and Heart Healthy

Not only is this salad beautiful to look at, but it is also very tasty. This spinach salad recipe is packed full of nutrients! Spinach is a super food packed full of vitamins A, C, and K, iron, folate, potassium, and fiber. Fresh strawberries add the bold and bright to the leafy greens along with adding more vitamin C, magnesium, and phosphorous to your diet, the candied pecans add a touch of sweet – all that pair perfectly with the homemade spinach salad dressing.

The Dressing – It was a huge hit for me, since I always struggle to make a great vinegarette dressing. The dressing is so simple and easy to make! Balsamic vinegar, olive oil (thinly sliced shallots – I didn’t have these on hand. So, they were omitted.), maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt and pepper added to a jar. Combine the ingredients and give it a good shake. I will, however, have shallots the next time I make this dressing.

Ingredients –

• Baby Spinach
• Strawberries
• Pecans – Add a crunchy texture to the salad. Candied pecans add a touch of sweet. Tip: If you don’t love pecans? Swap out for almonds or walnuts!
• Shallots – A mild onion.
• Olive Oil – The base of the homemade spinach salad dressing. I used a mild-flavored high-quality extra virgin olive oil.
• Maple Syrup – The sweetener
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Balsamic Vinegar – I used a nice flavored balsamic that is direct from Italy, but a nice grocery store one would work well. Tip from Chloe – she recommends opting for an elderberry or strawberry balsamic to compliment the strawberries in the salad!
• Cinnamon
• Feta Cheese or Goat Cheddar Cheese – I used Feta cheese because it was handy. Feta is a mild cheese and great for spinach salad.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Strawberry Spinach Salad

1. Prepare the Vinaigrette Dressing: Add olive oil, shallots (optional) maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, a good sprinkle of cinnamon, and a pinch of salt and pepper to a jar and give it a good shake to combine.
2. Toast the Pecans – Roughly chop the pecans and place them into a medium-sized frying pan. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of maple syrup, a pinch of salt, and a dash of cinnamon. Sauté on medium heat until just toasted. About 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. *Stir gently as they will burn easily.
3. Prepare the Spinach – remove the stems and cut the washed strawberries into ⅛” slices. Place clean spinach in a large salad bowl. Add strawberries, pecans, and top with freshly shaved Feta or goat cheddar cheese.
4. Add the vinaigrette dressing to the salad to your taste and give the salad a good toss.

Recipe:

Strawberry Spinach Salad

The best strawberry spinach salad bursting with flavor & is complete with homemade spinach salad dressing!

Candied Pecans

• 1/2 cup Pecans – Roughly Chopped
• Dash of Cinnamon
• Pinch of Sea Salt
• 2 Tablespoons of Pure Maple Syrup

Salad Dressing

• 6 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Pure Mape Syrup
• 1 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
• 2 Shallots. Thinly Sliced (optional)
• Dash of Cinnamon
• Pinch of Salt & Pepper, to taste

Salad

• 5 oz. Baby Spinach
• 1 Pound Strawberries – Rinsed, stemmed and sliced
• Feta or Shaved Cheddar Goat Cheese

INSTRUCTIONS
Prepare the spinach salad dressing: Add olive oil, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, cinnamon, thinly sliced shallots (optional), and a pinch of salt and pepper to a sealable jar. Give it a good shake to thoroughly combine.

Prepare the candied pecans: Roughly chop the pecans and place into a medium sized frying pan. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons maple syrup, a pinch of salt, and a dash of cinnamon. Sauté over medium heat until just toasted. About 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. I found stirring the pecans gently keeps them from burning.

Prepare the salad – Remove the stems and slice the clean strawberries into ⅛” slices. Place cleaned spinach in a large salad bowl. Add strawberries, candied pecans, and top with feta or freshly shaved goat cheddar cheese.

Shake the dressing to recombine in case of separation. Pour dressing over the salad and toss to combine.

For additional tips, tricks, and information on this amazing salad, head to Boxwood Avenue – The Best Strawberry Spinach Salad.

Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by Rustic and Refound!