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This quick and easy Strawberry Spinach Salad made with a balsamic vinaigrette is a healthy and light dish perfect for summer entertaining.
I love cooking with seasonal ingredients and the easiest way to incorporate fresh seasonal produce is to include it in a salad. There is nothing like fresh fruit to lighten and freshen up a summer dish. This time I’m using fresh strawberries to make an easy and flavourful salad.
This Strawberry Spinach Salad is best when made with tender baby spinach and sweet juicy strawberries. I like to top mine with crunchy toasted walnuts, tangy and creamy goat cheese and a few slivers of red onion.
Dressed with a tasty homemade maple balsamic vinaigrette, this salad is simple yet special enough to make for company and special occasions.
How to Make a Strawberry Spinach Salad
All you need are a few key ingredients to make this summery Strawberry Spinach Salad and maple balsamic vinaigrette. As with most salads, there is always room for variation.
For this salad you’ll need:
- baby spinach (though regular spinach works as well)
- strawberries (you can also try this salad with blueberries, blackberries or even pears)
- red onion
- walnuts (pecans or almonds are also good choices)
- goat cheese (feta cheese or blue cheese work as well)
As you can see, there is enough flexibility in the ingredients to allow for variations based on your taste preferences or what you have available in your pantry and refrigerator.
As you’ll notice in the recipe card below, I add a touch of oil, maple syrup and a sprinkling of cayenne (for a little heat) to the walnuts before toasting them.
This step isn’t necessary but adds extra flavour to the nuts and makes the salad even tastier. You could also use this recipe for Maple Spiced Walnuts to jazz up your nuts. This way you get extra nuts that you can serve as an appetizer or for snacking while making the salad!
Balsamic Salad Dressing
I love a good sweet and savoury salad dressing. To dress this spinach strawberry salad, I used olive oil, maple syrup, a good quality Balsamic vinegar, and a bit of salt and pepper. If you don’t have any maple syrup for the dressing, honey is a good substitute.
You can make the dressing ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator. Just make sure to take the dressing out of the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature before dressing the salad.
This recipe will serve about 6 people as a side dish and has approximately 242 calories a serving. I really hope you have a chance to try this strawberry salad. I’m sure it will be on rotation along with this Watermelon and Feta Salad in my home this summer. Enjoy!
More Summer Salad Recipes
If you make this recipe let me know how it went for you in the comment section below. I’d love to know if you made any variations to the recipe and how it worked out. And if you take a picture, share it with me on Instagram by tagging #sweetandsavourypursuits, I love to see your photos!
Strawberry Spinach Salad
Ingredients
Toasted walnuts
- 1/2 cup toasted walnuts
- 1 tsp light oil
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- sprinkling of cayenne optional
Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup olive oil light or other neutral oil
- 3 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 2 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
- salt and pepper to taste
Spinach Strawberry Salad
- 6 cups baby spinach washed
- 2 cups fresh whole strawberries washed and quatered
- 1/4 small red onion thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese more to taste
Instructions
Toasted Walnuts
- With a rack in the middle of your oven, preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, add 1/2 cup walnuts, drizzle with one teaspoon of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of maple syrup and sprinkle with a touch of cayenne (optional). Mix well and spread the walnuts onto the baking sheet in one even layer,
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until nuts are toasted and fragrant. Let cool.
Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Place all ingredients is a small jar and shake well. Set aside while you make the salad.
Strawberry Spinach Salad
- Place the washed and dried spinach in a salad bowl and top with quartered strawberries, sliced onion, crumbled goat cheese and toasted walnuts. Reserve a few strawberries, nuts and cheese to top the salad with after it has been dressed.
- Dress the salad and toss. Add reserved strawberries, walnuts and goat cheese to top. Serve!
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published in June of 2018. It has been updated with more details.
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Karen says
Nice. One of my favorite summer salads to serve when having guests for dinner as it makes for a pretty presentation.
Sweet and Savoury Pursuits says
Thanks Karen! Yes, not only is this salad delicious but it’s also visually lovely, which is important, especially when serving guests!
Karly says
I love everything about this salad! Thanks for sharing!
Sweet and Savoury Pursuits says
Thanks Karly, honestly so do I. I’ve been having it almost daily either for lunch or supper for the last week now!