Try this Strawberry Spinach Salad With Apple Cider vinegar Vinaigrette. It's a beautiful and tasty salad that both adults and kids will love. The perfect blend of sweet strawberries, fresh spinach, and a sweet and tangy dressing can be made in 20 minutes.
This Strawberry Spinach Salad celebrates the first warm days of the season by pairing fresh strawberries with tender baby spinach leaves in a stunning dish. This recipe makes it a pleasure to eat more spinach.
Inspired by the 1985 Junior League Cookbook, Sassafras! The Ozarks Cookbook. This is one of those recipes that has smears and smudges all over it. Some modifications were made such as adding more strawberries, a little less spinach, and making it a little less sweet with a sweetener that actually dissolves.
But the real star here is the homemade Apple Cider Vinaigrette. This sweet-tangy dressing combines apple cider vinegar with honey to create the perfect flavor balance. When paired with the textural contrast of poppy and sesame seeds and just the right savory seasonings, it truly elevates this salad.
With minimal work, you can create a dish that looks like it belongs in a high-end restaurant. Just add perfect pan-seared bone-in pork chops or sheet pan bone-in chicken breast for a complete meal.
This strawberry and spinach salad recipe is perfect for your next dinner party, potluck, Easter, Mother's Day, and Memorial Weekend celebration.
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Make a beautiful salad in 20 minutes!
- This salad goes well with so many dishes.
- Perfect for your next dinner party or potluck.
- This recipe makes eating spinach more enjoyable.
Ingredients
Here are the staple ingredients needed to make this amazing strawberry spinach salad.
- Spinach: A leafy green that is considered extremely healthy. It’s mild and can be a bit chewy when eaten raw. Try to use baby spinach as the leaves are more tender. If using large-leaf spinach, tear the leaves into smaller pieces before serving. Spring mix lettuce can be used as a substitute.
- Strawberries: A popular berry that is sweet and low in sugar. The harvest season is short and only about a month long. Once picked, strawberries do not continue to ripen. Store them in the refrigerator with paper towels between layers. Wash strawberries just before using them to protect them from extra moisture and premature spoilage.
- Honey: A liquid, natural sweetener with floral notes that enhance the vinaigrette.
- Dried Minced Onion: Dehydrated chopped onions are located in the spice aisle. They are common in salad dressings, marinades, and dried rubs for meat. You can substitute a pinch of dried onion powder.
- Paprika (Sweet): A spice made from ground sweet red peppers. Make sure it’s not the smoked paprika variety. The red hue from the spice contributes additional color to the vinaigrette.
- Worcestershire sauce: Started in England by Lee and Perrins. This sauce is tangy, sweet, salty, and has slight umami profiles from the anchovies. It is used to top your steak or burger or add to a bloody mary or salad dressings. It provides a bit of savory umami flavor to the vinaigrette.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: A tangy vinegar made from crushed apples that compliments the strawberries. Good substitutes are white wine vinegar or rice vinegar.
- Canola Oil: Any neutral-tasting oil that doesn’t have a strong flavor such as grapeseed, vegetable, or avocado oil.
- Sesame Seeds: Small, white, and oval seeds with a mild nutty taste. They are sold in the spice aisle of the grocery store.
- Poppy Seeds: Very small, nutty, black seeds providing texture to salads. They are found in the spice aisle of the grocery store and are also used for topping breads and pastries.
See the recipe card below for ingredient measurements.
Variations
Here are some variations you can make to this salad.
- Additional Fruit - Add blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, or sliced apples
- Red Onions - An addition of thinly sliced red onions or these quick pickled red onions
- Nuts - Substitute the poppy and sesame seeds with toasted pecans, walnuts, or pistachios
- Seedless - Omit the sesame and/or poppy seeds
- Cheese - Add cheese such as crumbled goat, feta, or blue cheese
Equipment
Here are the options for equipment needed to make the vinaigrette starting with my favorite.
- A blender produces the best results by chopping up the dried onion and completely emulsifying this vinaigrette.
- A food processor also works.
- You can also whisk these ingredients together.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Combine honey, dried onion, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, and vinegar into a blender or food processor. Blend to combine.
Step 2: With the machine running, slowly add the canola oil until mixed and thickened.
Step 3: Transfer the vinaigrette to a container with a lid such as a mason jar. Add the sesame seeds and poppy seeds to the vinaigrette.
Step 4: Close the lid and shake to combine.
Step 5: Trim the green tops from the strawberries and cut them into quarter-inch-thick slices.
Step 6: Arrange the strawberries on top of the spinach in a large salad bowl. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad. You may not need to use all of the dressing. Toss to combine. Serve immediately.
Make Ahead Instructions
- Store the spinach and whole strawberries separately in covered containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days ahead of time.
- Don't slice the strawberries until shortly before serving.
- The vinaigrette can be made up to 7 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator.
- Keep the dressing separate from the spinach and strawberries until just before serving.
- Before serving, bring the vinaigrette to room temperature and give it a good shake or stir before using, as the ingredients may have separated.
- Once dressed with the vinaigrette, enjoy immediately as the spinach will begin to wilt.
FAQ
This salad pairs wonderfully with salmon, chicken, or shrimp.
While baby spinach works beautifully, you can substitute it with arugula or mixed greens.
Yes, this white balsamic vinaigrette recipe would be perfect for this.
Try substituting with blueberries, blackberries, sliced apples, or pears. Dried cranberries or cherries also work well year-round.
Unfortunately, this salad does not store well once dressed and is best served immediately.
Did you try this recipe? Leave a comment and ⭐️ rating below to let us know how it turned out! Thanks for visiting!
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📖 Recipe
Strawberry Spinach Salad With Apple Cider Vinaigrette
Equipment
- blender or food processor
Ingredients
- 10 ounces baby spinach
- 16 ounces fresh strawberries
- ¼ cup honey
- 1½ teaspoon dried minced onion
- ¼ teaspoon sweet paprika
- ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup canola oil
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
Instructions
- Combine honey, dried onion, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, and cider vinegar into a blender or food processor. Blend to combine.
- With the machine running, slowly add the canola oil until mixed and thickened.
- Transfer the vinaigrette to a lidded container like a mason jar.
- Add the sesame seeds and poppy seeds to the vinaigrette. Close the lid and shake to combine.
- Trim the tops from the strawberries and cut them into quarter-inch-thick slices
- Arrange the strawberries on top of the spinach in a large salad bowl. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad. You may not need to use all of the dressing. Toss to combine. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
The provided nutritional information is an estimate per serving. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
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