Strawberry Spinach Salad

Celebrate strawberry season with a rainbow of colors. This summer spinach strawberry salad (adapted from The Slow Roasted Italian) is full of fresh fruits, fresh baby spinach, creamy feta, and a delicious vinaigrette and will be a crowd-pleaser every time.

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Prep Time15

Total Time15

Servings

Table of Contents

Strawberry Spinach Salad Ingredients
Substitutions And Additions For This Spinach & Strawberry Salad
How To Make This Strawberry Spinach Salad Recipe
How To Serve This Strawberry Feta Spinach Salad
Storing This Spinach Strawberry Pecan Salad
Why We Love This Salad
Frequently Asked Questions
More Recipes You’ll Love
JUMP TO RECIPE
Even More Recipes You’ll Love

This spinach strawberry salad is full of all the freshness and vibrant colors that the warm weather brings. A bed of deep green fresh spinach leaves, sweet strawberries and blueberries, creamy avocado, crunchy pecans, and a rich vinaigrette combine to make this summery salad a must-have.

close up shot of strawberry spinach salad garnished with feta cheese in a bowl

Strawberry Spinach Salad Ingredients

strawberry spinach salad raw ingredients that are labeled

The strawberries and tangy spinach make for a mouth-watering combination.

The texture of the spinach adds a satisfying crunch, while the strawberries offer a burst of juiciness.

The flavors are further enhanced by the addition of crumbled feta cheese, which adds a salty creaminess that perfectly balances the sweetness of the strawberries.

You’ll need:

5 ounces of fresh baby spinach, rinsed and patted dry
1 cup of candied pecans
1 quart of strawberries, rinsed, dried, and halved or quartered, stems removed
1 cup of fresh blueberries, rinsed
2 avocados, diced
½ cup of feta cheese, crumbled
½ cup of vinaigrette, more or less to taste

PRO TIP:

Sweet vinaigrettes work well in this recipe, as does a poppyseed dressing. We used a store-bought mango champagne vinaigrette, and it was perfect. A strawberry vinaigrette would also be tasty.

Substitutions And Additions For This Spinach & Strawberry Salad

CHEESE: Blue cheese crumbles or goat cheese would also be fantastic options in place of feta cheese.

FRUIT: There is no reason this salad couldn’t be made year-round.

If you cannot get fresh strawberries for any reason, a great substitute would be canned mandarin oranges drained of their juice.

Other fruit options could include pineapple chunks, mango cubes, raspberries, pears, or apples.

VEGETABLES: Raw sliced mushrooms work nicely in this spinach salad, as do raw red onions, matchstick carrots, or diced peppers.

NUTS: In place of or in addition to the pecans, slivered almonds are a popular choice for this salad.

Also, try walnuts and cashews in the salad, depending on your preference. You can also sprinkle poppy seeds, sesame seeds, or sunflower seeds on the salad.

CHICKEN: Add grilled chicken to turn this perfect salad into a filling main dish.

DRESSING: Instead of dressing from the grocery store, if you have a favorite homemade balsamic vinegar dressing, it would work well with the flavors in this salad.

If you want to stick with store-bought dressing but want something creamier, you could use ranch dressing on this salad.

How To Make This Strawberry Spinach Salad Recipe

This tasty salad can be whipped up in your salad bowl in no time and brings so much freshness to the table.

STEP ONE: In a large bowl, toss together the spinach, candied pecans, strawberries, and blueberries. Add the avocado and feta cheese.

OUR RECIPE DEVELOPER SAYS

To make your own candied pecans, combine 1 cup of pecans, 2 tablespoons of butter, and 2 tablespoons of brown sugar in a skillet. Heat and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved in the butter.

Spread onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake at 350°F until pecans are crisp.

spinach, candied pecans strawberries, and blueberries tossed in a bowl

STEP TWO: Pour the salad dressing over the ingredients and toss gently to combine.

PRO TIP:

If you are making a homemade vinaigrette dressing and plan to make this recipe often, you can make a larger batch and refrigerate it for up to two weeks.

salad dressing poured over the salad ingredients

STEP THREE: Adjust the dressing to taste. Serve immediately.

How To Serve This Strawberry Feta Spinach Salad

Serve this spinach strawberry pecan salad with a grilled summer meal.

It would be a perfect side dish to add to the side of grilled chicken, grilled tilapia, grilled corn on the cob, or hamburgers.

Serve with our iced tea, raspberry iced tea, sweet peach iced tea, or our southern strawberry sweet tea on the side of this summer salad recipe.

Keep your kitchen cool and serve up our favorite salads for your side dish. Try our Caesar salad and watermelon salad as two solid choices.

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Storing This Spinach Strawberry Pecan Salad

Now that you’ve enjoyed the fresh and vibrant flavors of our salad, let’s explore the best ways to store any leftovers and even prepare parts of this salad ahead of time.

MAKE AHEAD: If you’re planning for a busy day or want to streamline meal prep, you can make certain elements of this salad ahead of time.

Wash and dry the spinach leaves thoroughly, then store them in an airtight container lined with paper towels to absorb excess moisture.

Chop the strawberries, prepare the dressing, and toast the almonds separately, storing each component in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator.

When you’re ready to enjoy your salad, simply assemble all the ingredients, including the dressing, for a fresh and convenient meal.

IN THE FRIDGE: The separate components of the salad can be prepared a day ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator in separate containers or bags until you are ready to serve.

IN THE FREEZER: We do not recommend freezing this spinach and strawberry salad.

Why We Love This Salad

REFRESHING SALAD: This salad is a burst of freshness with its crisp spinach leaves and juicy strawberries, making it a perfect choice for a light and refreshing meal.

SWEET AND SAVORY BALANCE: The combination of sweet strawberries, tangy balsamic vinaigrette, and savory toppings like feta cheese and toasted almonds creates a of flavors.

QUICK AND EASY: With minimal preparation and no cooking involved, this recipe is incredibly quick and easy to make, making it a go-to choice for busy weeknight dinners or last-minute gatherings.

close up shot of strawberry spinach salad garnished with feta cheese on a plate

This spinach strawberry salad is full of all the stunning, rich colors of the warmer months packed into a single bowl. The sweet, ripe strawberries and blueberries contrast with the tangy dressing and feta cheese for an explosion of flavors.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a different fruit in this spinach strawberry feta salad?

Fresh blueberries, mandarin oranges, pineapple chunks, or raspberries are all excellent choices in the salad.

Can you make spinach strawberry salad ahead of time?

You can prepare the ingredients ahead of time and store them in separate containers. Mix the ingredients together when you are ready to serve the salad.

What dressing goes with strawberry & spinach salad?

A sweet dressing such as poppy seed vinaigrette works well with a strawberry spinach salad.

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Spinch Strawberrry Salad

5 from 2 votes

Prep Time 15

Total Time 15

Servings

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Ingredients

5 ounces fresh baby spinach, rinsed and patted dry
1 cup candied pecans
1 quart strawberries, rinsed, dried, and halved or quartered, stems removed
1 cup fresh blueberries, rinsed
2 avocados, diced
½ cup feta cheese, crumbled
½ cup vinaigrette, more or less to taste

Instructions

In a large salad bowl, toss together the spinach, candied pecans, strawberries, and blueberries. Add the avocado and feta cheese.
Pour the salad dressing over the ingredients and toss gently to combine. Adjust the dressing to taste.
Serve immediately.

Notes

To make your own candied pecans, combine 1 cup of pecans, 2 tablespoons of butter, and 2 tablespoons of brown sugar in a skillet. Heat and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved in the butter. Spread onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake at 350°F until pecans are crisp.
If you are making a homemade vinaigrette dressing and plan to make this recipe often, you can make a larger batch and refrigerate it for up to 2 weeks.

Nutrition

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Proudly Prepared by the Spaceships Kitchen

This recipe was developed, tested, cooked and photographed by the Spaceships Kitchen. From our dinner table to yours, we hope you think it's out of this world!

Stephanie Keeping Publisher
Layne Kangas Marketing
Stefanie Knaus Photographer
Lexus Monroe Editorial Assistant

Spinach Strawberry Salad