This strawberry spinach salad is bursting with bright spring flavors and takes just 10 minutes to make! It's tossed with a homemade strawberry vinaigrette so good that you'll be pouring it on everything!
Warmer weather in spring means it's time for lighter meals like salads and fresh fruit like strawberries.
Put those two together ingredients together and you have a light and refreshing strawberry spinach salad that features a homemade strawberry vinaigrette alongside toasted walnuts and fresh goat cheese. This spinach salad is anything but boring!
Recipe features
- Simple and easy: This strawberry spinach salad is made using less than 10 ingredients and is ready in just 10 minutes.
- Packed with healthy ingredients: Filled with nutritious ingredients like spinach, walnuts, and fresh strawberries.
- Double the strawberry: The salad is dressed in a tangy, creamy, and lightly sweet strawberry balsamic vinaigrette.
- Versatile: Serve as a side salad or add your favorite grain and protein to make it a main salad.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Spinach: One 10 ounce container of spinach is enough for 4-6 salads. You can also use a lettuce blend, arugula, or spring mix to customize the salad.
- Strawberries: Fresh strawberries are the best option in the spinach salad. You can use frozen strawberries in the strawberry vinaigrette.
- Toasted walnuts: I buy raw unsalted walnuts and toast them on the stove, but you can buy roasted unsalted or even candied walnuts to cut down on prep time. Toasted pecans are another option. Try using sunflower seeds instead of walnuts if you have a nut allergy.
- Goat cheese: Choose regular or fruit goat cheese. I used a blueberry honey cheese (you can see it in the pictures) and it was delicious with the strawberry vinaigrette. Feta works well in spinach salad if you don't like goat cheese.
- Olive oil: This is the main oil in the strawbery vinaigrette. It can be replaced with canola, avocado, or a similar oil as needed.
- Balsamic vinegar and strawberries are a match made in heaven! I always keep a good bottle of balsamic vinegar on hand for dressings like this.
- Maple syrup: This can be replaced with honey or agave syrup. Add more as needed for a sweeter vinaigrette or omit entirely for no added sugar.
Step by step instructions
The strawberry balsamic vinaigrette makes about ¾ cup (6 ounces) of dressing. The strawberry spinach salad serves 3-4 main salads or 5-6 servings as a side salad.
Making the vinaigrette
You will need a blender or immersion blender to make the strawberry vinaigrette. Combine all ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth.
Taste for sweetness. Depending on the ripeness of the strawberries, you may need to add extra maple syrup to round out the vinaigrette.
Making the salad
To toast the walnuts, heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the walnut pieces and cook for 2-4 minutes, stirring frequently to encourage even cooking. They are ready when fragrant and deepened in color.
To make the strawberry spinach salad, toss all ingredients together in a large bowl. If serving one large salad, add all of the vinaigrette now and toss to combine.
Alternately, dress each salad individually. Top with freshly ground black pepper to taste.
How to avoid a soggy salad
Unlike hardier salads made with kale or collard greens, spinach salads are prone to becoming soggy because spinach is a tender green.
Here is how I avoid soggy spinach salad:
- Always wait to dress the salad until just before serving.
- If prepping a bunch of spinach instead of using a container of spinach, always clean the leaves and let them dry before using them. If you don't have a salad spinner, you can lay the spinach leaves out in a single layer on clean towels and let them air dry.
- Strawberries should also be rinsed before use. Let them air dry or pat-dry with a towel before slicing and adding them to the salad.
- Remove any wilted or yellowed pieces of spinach from the spinach container.
Expert tips and FAQ
- Make it a main by adding your favorite protein on top. For a vegetarian option, I like adding roasted chickpeas or baked tofu. Add a grain like barley or quinoa to round out the salad.
- How to prep the salad in advance: I recommend assembling the salad no more than 24 hours in advance. Store the salad and dressing separately. Don't add the dressing until just before serving to prevent the salad from getting soggy.
For best quality, refrigerate leftover undressed salad in a covered container for 3-4 days. Keep the strawberry vinaigrette refrigerated in a jar or other container for up to 5 days.
If you have any leftover salad that has already been dressed in the vinaigrette, I recommend eating it within 24 hours because dressed spinach is more likely to wilt.
I don't recommend making this salad oil-free because olive oil contributes a lot to the flavor and mouthfeel of the vinaigrette.
The blender purees the strawberries, but otherwise, you don't need it. An immersion blender is a great option if you have one. If not, you can hand-mash the strawberries with a potato masher, which will result in a chunkier vinaigrette.
Yes! Frozen strawberries work well. I recommend thawing them before blending.
This salad goes well with sandwiches or pasta. Try with chickpea salad sandwiches, lentil sloppy joes, or butternut squash tortellini for a well-rounded meal.
Looking for more vegetarian salads?
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Spinach and Strawberry Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 1 pint strawberries
- ½ cup raw unsalted walnuts
- 10 ounces spinach see note #1
- 4 ounces goat cheese crumbled
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil see note #2
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice from ½ medium lemon
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup see note #3
- ⅛ teaspoon coarse salt
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prep the strawberries. Remove the tops and slice each strawberry into quarters. Set aside ½ cup for the vinaigrette.
- To toast the walnuts, heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the walnut pieces and cook for 2-5 minutes, stirring frequently to encourage even cooking. They are ready when fragrant and deepened in color.
- To make the vinaigrette, combine ½ cup sliced strawberries, 3 tablespoons balsamic vinaigrette, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon maple syrup and ⅛ teaspoon coarse salt in a blender. Blend until smooth.
- To make the salad, toss the strawberries, crumbled goat cheese and toasted walnuts together in a large bowl. Add freshly ground black pepper to taste. If serving one large salad, add all dressing now and toss to combine. Alternately, dress each salad individually.
Video
Notes
- Spinach: One bunch of loose leaf spinach also works. Mixed lettuce with arugula also work well.
- Goat cheese: Choose regular or fruit goat cheese. I used a blueberry honey cheese (you can see it in the pictures) and it was delicious! Feta works well here if you don't like goat cheese.
- Maple syrup: This can be replaced with honey or agave syrup. Add more as needed for a sweeter vinaigrette or omit entirely for no added sugar.
- Serving size: The vinaigrette makes about ¾ cup of dressing which is about 4 servings. The salads make 3-4 servings as a main or 5-6 servings as a side salad.
- Leftovers: For best quality, refrigerate leftover undressed salad in a covered container 3-4 days. Keep the dressing refrigerated in a jar or other container for up to 5 days.
This recipe was originally shared April 22, 2018. The recipe, instructions, and photos were updated on March 1st, 2021 for better quality.
Lucy
Saving this recipe to use again and again-the best Spinach salad I’ve ever had. I used to think making your own dressing would be hard but this was so easy and so worth it!
Cassidy Reeser
I'm so happy to hear that! Thanks for the review 🙂