Strawberry Spinach Salad

This delicious Strawberry Spinach Salad combines sweet strawberries, crunchy walnuts, and creamy goat cheese, all dressed in a simple yet flavorful balsamic vinaigrette. Perfect for summer entertaining, this tasty salad can be served as a side dish, starter or light main course! 

I love cooking with seasonal ingredients, and nothing says summer like sweet, juicy strawberries. Salads like this are my favorite because they'e the perfect way to enjoy fresh ingredients and healthy, satisfying meals without spending hours in the kitchen. 

Whether you're enjoying this fresh salad as a perfect side dish for a weeknight meal or serving it as part of a festive Sunday supper, it’s sure to be a hit. 

Jump to:

• How to Make it
• Ingredients Overview
• Strawberry Salad Balsamic Dressing
• Ingredients Overview:
• Serving Suggestions
• More Summer Salads
• Strawberry Spinach Salad Recipe

How to Make it

This easy strawberry spinach salad is the perfect light dish for the warmer months, whether you're looking for a refreshing starter, a side, or even a main course with some added protein.

All you need are a few simple ingredients to make this summery strawberry spinach salad recipe. 

Tender baby spinach pairs beautifully with fresh strawberries. Topped with crunchy toasted walnuts, creamy goat cheese and red onion slivers, this salad is dressed with a tasty homemade maple balsamic vinaigrette. It's simple yet special enough to make for company and special occasions.

This easy summer salad comes together quickly with just a few simple ingredients. For the ingredient amounts and step by step instructions, please see the recipe card at the end of the post.

Ingredients Overview

• Fresh baby spinach leaves: You can also use regular spinach or other leafy greens like arugula or mixed salad greens.
• Fresh strawberries: Be sure to use ripe strawberries for the best flavor, though you can also substitue with fresh blueberries, blackberries or even pears depending on what's in season.
• Red onion: Thinly sliced.
• Toasted walnuts: Pecans, almonds or sunflower seeds also add great texture and flavor.
• Goat cheese: The tanginess of goat cheese works beautifully, but tangy feta or blue cheese are great alternatives.

As is the case with most salad recipes, this one is flexible. You can customize it based on your taste preferences or what's available in your pantry. For instance, cucumber and avocado are delicious additions to this salad.

To make this salad even more special, I like to toss the walnuts with a touch of maple syrup and a sprinkle of cayenne before toasting. This step isn't necessary, but it adds extra flavor to the nuts and makes the salad even tastier.

Tip: Try using my recipe for Maple Spiced Walnuts to jazz up your nuts. You'll end up with extra nuts that you can serve as an appetizer or snack on while you prepare the salad!

Strawberry Salad Balsamic Dressing

I love a good sweet and savoury salad dressing. To dress this spinach strawberry salad, I used a few simple ingredients.

Ingredients Overview:

• Extra-virgin olive oil: You could also use walnut oil or a combination of walnut and olive oil.
• Maple syrup: Or substitute honey if that's what you have.
• Good quality Balsamic vinegar.
• Salt and pepper.

You can make the dressing ahead and store it in a sealed jar in the refrigerator. Just be sure to let it to come to room temperature before dressing the salad.

Serving Suggestions

This colorful salad is a great addition to summer barbecues or family gatherings, and you can also turn it into a light meal by adding grilled chicken breasts like I did in this Greek Salad with Grilled Chicken.

This recipe will serve about 6 people as a side dish. If you’re making this for a larger crowd, serve it in a large salad bowl. For a more elegant presentation at a dinner party or for Mother's Day brunch, dish it out on individual salad plates.

If you like this salad, and want to elevate your salad game, be sure to check out this Blueberry Spinach Salad, not only does the salad include blueberries, the dressing is made with blueberries as well.

I hope you enjoy this fresh, seasonal salad as much as I do. It’s become a favorite in my kitchen, especially during strawberry season. I'm sure it will be on regular rotation in my home this summer, alongside this Watermelon and Feta Salad.

Enjoy!

More Summer Salads

• Lebanese Cucumber Yogurt Salad (Khyar Bi Laban)
• Fattoush Salad
• Mediterranean Pasta Salad
• Lebanese Tabbouleh
• White Bean and Tuna Salad
• Mediterranean Kale Salad

This post was originally published in June of 2018. It has been updated. Recipe remains unchanged.