Healthy Strawberry Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing
My youngest asked me to pack this for her lunch three days in a row one May, which is how I knew it had earned a permanent spot in our rotation.
The dressing comes together in the same jar you store it in, and the whole salad is assembled in under 15 minutes of real hands-on work.
Healthy Strawberry Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing
Fresh strawberries and baby spinach come together in a bright, satisfying salad with a creamy homemade poppy seed dressing.
Ingredients
Poppy Seed Dressing
- 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp poppy seeds
- 1 small shallot , finely minced
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salad
- 5 oz baby spinach , about 4 packed cups
- 1 lb fresh strawberries , hulled and sliced
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds , toasted
- 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
Instructions
Tips & Notes
- If you are making this ahead, store the dressing separately and dress the salad no more than 5 minutes before serving to keep the spinach from going limp.
- Swap feta for goat cheese if you want a creamier, tangier bite. Both work well with the poppy seed dressing.
- Sliced strawberries can be prepped up to 4 hours ahead and stored covered in the refrigerator.
- For a heartier salad, add 4 oz of grilled chicken sliced thin over the top.
Nutrition per serving · estimated
Why the Dressing Order Actually Matters
Starting with the acid and honey before the oil is not just technique for technique's sake. It gives the honey somewhere to dissolve fully so you are not left with sticky streaks at the bottom of your jar.
Adding the oil last, slowly, gives the emulsion time to form. That is what makes this dressing cling to the spinach leaves instead of pooling at the bottom of the bowl.
Choosing Strawberries That Pull Their Weight
A pale strawberry in this salad is a missed opportunity. Look for berries that are fully red to the stem, firm but not hard, and smell like strawberries when you hold them close.
Farmers market strawberries in late spring will be smaller and more intensely flavored than grocery store varieties. Either works, but smaller ones often need zero extra sweetening.
