The perfect spring and summer strawberry salad! This Strawberry Spinach Salad with Strawberry Poppy Seed Dressing is made with fresh strawberries, cucumber, avocado and red onions. Topped with a homemade dairy free strawberry poppy seed dressing that might just become your go-to salad dressing.
Jump to:
- Let’s Talk Strawberries
- Ingredients In Strawberry Spinach Salad
- Salad Recipe Variations
- How To Make This Salad Dairy Free
- How To Make Homemade Strawberry Poppy Seed Dressing
- Tips For Strawberry Spinach Salad
- How To Store
- More Summer Recipe To Try:
- Let's Connect
- Strawberry Spinach Salad with Strawberry Poppy Seed Dressing
Let’s Talk Strawberries
Strawberries are usually in an abundance in the summer and are such an easy fruit to incorporate into recipes. This strawberry spinach salad is what strawberries were born to do. Shine. It’s made with ingredients that are usually on hand in the summer and can easily be whipped up in a matter of minutes. Throw on a bit of grilled chicken for some extra protein and you have yourself a healthy meal.
If you have kids or need a fun date idea, strawberry picking is one of my favorite summer activities to do with the family. Usually local strawberry farms will have an open season where you can pick your own strawberries for a fraction of the grocery store prices.
Love strawberries? Me too! Check out some of our other recipes featuring strawberries like Creamy Strawberry Pineapple Popsicles, Strawberry Almond Baked Oatmeal, and The Best Strawberry Banana Smoothie.
Ingredients In Strawberry Spinach Salad
The ingredient list for this healthy salad are all fresh and taste delicious together. Plus I’ll show you how to make homemade strawberry poppy seed dressing that pairs lovely with strawberry spinach salad and more.
Strawberries: Fresh ripe strawberries are key to this recipe. They add the perfect sweetness that can’t be replicated and they’re gorgeous!
Cucumber: I love to add chopped cucumber to this strawberry salad recipe for an extra healthy crunch. Feel free to keep the skin on the cucumber before chopping for zero waste or peel if you prefer.
Avocado: Ripe avocado adds a creamy texture to the salad that is irresistible. Plus avocado is a great source of healthy fat.
Red Onion: The red onion has a milder taste than a regular onion and is tasty in salads. If you don’t like raw red onion you could try using pickled red onion instead or simply omit it.
Spinach and Romaine: The blend of chopped spinach and romaine adds definition and texture to the salad. I love the leafy green flavor combination with the fresh juicy strawberries. If you don’t have both spinach and romaine, feel free to use one or the other.
Sunflower Seeds: Roasted sunflower seeds add another element of crunch! You could substitute the sunflower seeds with another type of nut or sliced almonds if you’d like.
Feta: The feta is optional and should be omitted for dairy free. Feta cheese could also be substituted with goat cheese or even blue cheese if preferred.
Homemade Strawberry Poppy Seed Dressing: This simple homemade strawberry poppy seed dressing is made up of only a few ingredients. You’ll need strawberries, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey, yogurt (dairy free if preferred), poppy seeds, and salt and pepper.
Salad Recipe Variations
- Looking to add more protein? Feel free to add grilled chicken, salmon, or chickpeas to this strawberry salad.
- Try different nuts and seeds! The recipe calls for roasted sunflower seeds but you can swap them for sliced almonds, chopped walnuts, or even roasted pistachios.
How To Make This Salad Dairy Free
It’s super easy to make this strawberry spinach salad dairy free. Omit the feta cheese and opt to use dairy free yogurt in the strawberry poppy seed dressing. Simple as that!
How To Make Homemade Strawberry Poppy Seed Dressing
Homemade salad dressing is simple to make! Add all of the ingredients into a blender and blend on high until smooth and creamy. Add the salt and pepper to taste and enjoy!
Tips For Strawberry Spinach Salad
- Go for fresh: Make sure to make this salad when strawberries are in season and fresh! Nothing is more disappointing than spending money on a whole carton of unripe or soggy strawberries from the grocery store.
- Swap out ingredients: Don’t be afraid to try different vegetables, fruit, or nuts. Salads are a great time to experiment with different ingredients to see what types of flavors pair well together. This strawberry salad is a sweeter and fruitier salad but nuts and seeds are delicious additions.
How To Store
I prefer to make and serve this strawberry salad on the same day. I find that salads are best when fresh and just put together. You can store the strawberry spinach salad in an airtight container in the fridge but store it separately from the dressing to avoid it getting soggy. The homemade strawberry poppy seed dressing can be stored in a separate container in the fridge for up to a few days. Make sure to stir the dressing before using since ingredients will settle in the fridge.
More Summer Recipe To Try:
- Easy Buffalo Chickpea Wraps
- Broccoli Salad with Honey Dijon Dressing
- Balsamic Cucumber Tomato Salad
- Healthier Lemon Bars
- Spicy Sesame Peanut Zucchini Noodles
- Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad with Kale and Apple
Let's Connect
Did you love this recipe? I want to hear from you! Please leave a rating or comment below and let me know how it turned out! Also follow along on Instagram and Pinterest for more With Sweet Honey content.
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Strawberry Spinach Salad with Strawberry Poppy Seed Dressing
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
Strawberry Poppy Seed Dressing
- 1 cup fresh strawberries cleaned and halved
- ¼ cup yogurt, vanilla or unflavored I use dairy free coconut yogurt
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup
- ½ tsp poppy seeds
- sea salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Strawberry Salad
- 1 lb fresh strawberries (about 1 quart) cleaned and halved
- 1 cucumber chopped (could use mini cucumbers also)
- 1 ripe avocado pitted and chopped
- ¼ red onion thinly sliced
- ¼ cup roasted sunflower seeds
- ½ cup feta cheese optional
- 5 oz fresh spinach
- 5 oz romaine lettuce chopped
Instructions
- For the dressing: Add all of the ingredients into a blender and blend on high until smooth and creamy. Add the salt and pepper to taste.
- For the salad: Assemble the salad by first combining the spinach and romaine in a large bowl. Layer the strawberries, cucumber, avocado, red onion, sunflower seeds, and feta on top. Add the dressing on top or serve on the side. Enjoy!
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