Can I Make This Strawberry Feta Salad With Creamy Poppy Seed Dressing Ahead
Yes, I recommend adding all the ingredients to separate bowls until ready to serve. Or, you can add them all together in an airtight container but dont pour the dressing on it. Place them in the refrigerator and toss them together within a few hours of preparing.
As mentioned above, the dressing can be made up ahead. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days ahead. I like to serve the dressing on the side. Having it on the side allows you and your guests to decide how much dressing they would like on their salad.
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How To Make The Best Ever Strawberry Spinach Salad
Consider this recipe more of an adjustable, go-with-the-flow starter than a strict script.
Ive included the ingredients and amounts to make a stellar spinach strawberry salad for a crowd, but you can switch them up to suit your preference or keep things fresh and new when you come back to make it again.
Creamy Salad Dressing Ingredients
At the bottom of the post is the full recipe with ingredient amounts and detailed instructions. You can save the recipe card to your free personal recipe box and never ever misplace or lose it. #winning
Furthermore, the dressing recipe makes enough to have this salad a few more times.
*By the way, honey is very good for you! Honey has a mix of amino acids, vitamins, minerals, iron, zinc, and antioxidants. Its a natural sweetener, as well as contains anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antibacterial agents.
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Strawberry Salad With Poppy Seed Salad
Strawberry Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing is filled with fresh ingredients and full of flavor. I cant get enough of this summer salad recipe!
Nothing screams SUMMERTIME quite like fresh strawberries, and this Strawberry Poppyseed Salad recipe is filled with them. This is the perfect summer salad to serve for a weekend lunch, or any time really. Theres never a bad time for a healthy and flavorful salad!
Its easy to eat healthy when youve got a dish like this, overflowing with good ingredients. Fresh Romaine and Iceberg lettuce, fresh strawberries, plenty of feta cheese for an extra flavor kick, and of course the delicious Poppyseed salad dressing. I had to add in some of my favorite homemade baked croutons too!
Whip up this healthy salad recipe any time you have fresh strawberries around. Its quick to throw together, and the dressing is easy to make too.
Celebrate strawberry season with this healthy summer salad. Youre going to love this fresh Strawberry Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing recipe!
How To Store Strawberry Spinach Salad
If you plan on storing leftover strawberry spinach salad, do not toss the salad with the dressing or the spinach will become soggy and wilted. Instead, store the salad and dressing in separate airtight containers. The salad without the dressing will last about 3 days in the refrigerator although the strawberries can soften the crunch of the spinach a bit.
To store the poppy seed dressing, transfer it to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to one week. The dressing will separate as it sits so shake or whisk to recombine before using.
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How To Purchase Fresh Spinach:
- Color: Look for leaves that are perky medium to dark green in color without any yellowing, wilting or evidence of decay.
- Stems: Look for thin stems which indicates the spinach was picked at peak freshness which means it will have the best flavor and texture. Large stems indicate overgrown spinach that will be tough and/or bitter.
- Feel: Give the bag of spinach a gentle squeeze if the spinach springs back easily, its likely fresh.
- What to avoid: Spinach leaves that are slimy, yellow or have a sour, musty odor.
How To Make Spinach And Strawberry Salad
This spinach salad is very easy to make with just a couple steps.
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How Do You Toast Nuts
There are two methods for how to toast nuts, either in the oven or on the stovetop. Both yield warm, toasty nuts, so take your pick from the below!
- To Toast Nuts In the Oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Arrange the nuts in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, tossing every 5 minutes, until toasted and fragrant. Note: All nuts will toast in different amounts of time, so adjust accordingly.
- To Toast Nuts On the Stovetop: Add the nuts to a small skillet set over low heat. Cook the nuts, stirring occasionally, until they are toasted and fragrant, 5 to 10 minutes. Note: The amount of time will depend on the size, variety and quantity of nuts you use.
Toasting nuts enhances their flavor and is a small step that contributes big taste to the overall salad!
How Long Will This Strawberry Poppy Seed Dressing Last
It is best if used within 2-3 days, but it will keep for about a week in the refrigerator. The oil and vinegar may separate a little the longer it sits, so make sure you shake it really well before serving.
If it thickens up too much in the fridge, you can also add a little bit of water or milk to thin it out. Make sure to shake it up really well.
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How To Make Strawberry Spinach Salad Dressing
I love serving strawberry salad with poppy seed dressing. And its pretty simple to make, too.
Simply whisk together the mayonnaise, olive oil, powdered erythritol, white vinegar, poppy seeds, and sea salt.
PRO TIP: If you need to thin out the dressing, add additional water or olive oil about a tablespoon at a time.
Thats it! Your strawberry spinach salad dressing is ready for your salad.
Strawberry Avocado Salad With Poppy Seed Dressing
This healthy strawberry avocado salad is made with fresh strawberries, ripe avocado and drizzled with a lemon poppy seed dressing. This paleo salad recipe is perfect for summer and can work as a satiating main meal or a simple side salad to go with your main course.
I was browsing through salad recipes last month and came across an avocado chicken salad. It looked amazing, and I had every intention of making it, until I realized I didn’t have any chicken!
So I made do with avocado, strawberries and bacon instead. As they say, bacon makes everything better. And you can’t go wrong with strawberries in a salad.
This strawberry avocado salad recipe has the perfect balance of sweet and savory, and all the textures one could ask for.
It’s made on a bed of butter lettuce and layered with fresh strawberries, ripe avocado, cooked bacon, cucumbers, onion and dill. Then, drizzled in a homemade lemon poppy seed dressing, which really is the icing on top.
Even my husband, who isn’t always thrilled about salad, absolutely LOVED this strawberry bacon avocado salad. He even asked for seconds!
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How To Make This Recipe
Scroll down to view the recipe card below for the full ingredients list, nutrition facts, and step-by-step instructions.
Lets Talk Poppy Seed Dressing
When I crave spinach strawberry salad, I crave spinach strawberry salad with poppy seed dressing. Maybe its the Panera factor , but I consider the two together a package deal to be embraced.
The poppy seeds feel cheery and add micro pops of texture too!
Rather than a creamy dressing, this spinach strawberry salad calls for a poppy seed vinaigrette made with balsamic vinegar and honey for a few reasons:
- Balsamic and strawberry are divine together.
- The acidity of the dressing adds a nice balance.
- I always have balsamic vinegar in my pantry.
The two greatest barriers to making your own vinaigrette from scratch are time and ingredients. This one takes seconds, and you have everything you need to make it in your pantry right now.
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Strawberry Spinach Salad Dressing
Strawberry spinach salad and poppy seed dressing is such a popular combination because it is SO GOOD. The dressing is everything. This poppy seed vinaigrette is sweet, tart, complex and simple all at the same time. It elevates this spinach and strawberry salad to a whole new level because after all, a salad is only as good as its dressing so use the best!
This tantalizing vinaigrette takes minutes to whip up and can be made up to a week in advance. Its a quick whisking of white vinegar, sugar, orange juice, dried minced onions, ground mustard, dried basil, salt, pepper, vegetable oil and poppy seeds.
Drizzle the spinach and strawberry salad with the dressing, toss all the deliciousness together and you have a harmony of flavor and texture that is so drool worthy, you wont be able to stop crunching its heavenly goodness, guaranteed. Whens the last time you could say that about a salad?!
What Goes In Strawberry Spinach Salad
This spinach and strawberry salad is colorful, sweet, savory, and crunchy all at the same time!
Here are the ingredients in this easy strawberry spinach salad:
- Spinach Dark, leafy and loaded with vitamins and nutrients.
- Strawberries Sweet and bright, they are the star of this salad.
- Goat Cheese Adds a creamy flavor to each bite.
- Sliced Almonds Crunch and healthy fats!
- Poppy Seed Dressing Creamy and sweet and the perfect topping.
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Spinach And Strawberry Salad Variations
There are so many different options to change up this spinach and strawberry salad. Try out some of the following swaps!
- Nuts You can basically choose any nut you like for this spinach strawberry poppy seed salad. My favorites are walnuts, pecans, or pistachios!
- Cheese A good rule of thumb is to choose a cheese that crumbles well. Feta will add a sharper flavor to the salad and blue cheese will add some funk!
- Fruit Berries are great in this salad. Try out blackberries, blueberries, or raspberries depending on what you have available.
Can You Prep This Salad In Advance
Im a big fan of prepping what I can ahead, and heres how you can prep this healthy salad ahead of time.
Make the honey poppy seed dressing recipe up to 1 week in advance.
Chop the fresh kale, slice the strawberries and chop the pistachios. If the feta that you purchase is not already crumbled, go ahead and crumble that too and store in an airtight container.
Once you have everything prepped, the salad comes together in minutes.
While you can massage the kale with the dressing up to 3 days ahead of time, I wouldnt add the strawberries, pistachios and feta cheese until right before you serve the salad.
The pistachios will get a softer texture, instead of a great crunch after a day, and the juicy strawberries stay more fresh when you add them in right before serving.
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Strawberry Spinach Salad Dressing Ingredients:
- Oil: You want a neutral oil such as vegetable oil,light olive oil, or grapeseed oil.Please dont usecanola oil as its too strong.
- White vinegar: I have tried this dressing with other vinegars but white vinegar is my clear favorite. Its strong, clean, tangy flavor balances the sugar perfectly.
- Sugar: Is the sweet element to balance the vinegar. You can swap all or part of it with your favorite sweetener, but you must use a decent amount or the dressing will be too tangy.
- Orange juice: Adds a fresh, vibrant citrus pop that beautifully harmonizes with the strawberries.
- Poppy seeds: Are nutty and slightly fruity with a pleasant texture. They are also rich in magnesium, calcium and fiber. You can usually find poppy seeds at the grocery store located next to the spices or on
- Ground mustard: Is the dried, ground mustard powder you keep with your spices in the pantry, not the fridge. It helps balance the sweetness and adds a layer of subtle flavor. If you dont have it, use an equal amount of Dijon mustard instead.
- Dried minced onions: Are the dehydrated onion flakes you keep with the spices. Use them straight from the bottle without hydrating first. They add yet another subtle layer of flavor to round out the dressing.
- Salt and pepper: A must! They are how we season the entire salad so be generous.
How To Make Strawberry Salad With Poppy Seed Dressing And Homemade Candied Pecans
This salad is very easy to make. It mostly involves chopping and whisking. The hardest part of this salad is making the candied pecans. They actually arent hard to make at all. Put some sugar in a small non-stick skillet and heat it over low heat until the sugar starts to melt. Once the sugar has melted, add the pecans and toss. SO easy. If you dont like pecans, feel free to use almonds, walnuts or cashews.
- Sometimes we will add some bleu cheese crumbles, crumbled feta or goat cheese to the salad. This is also nice with some blueberries added to the mixture.
- Can Strawberry Salad be Made in Advance? Yes! You can definitely make the candied pecans and the dressing in advance. You can also chop the romaine, onion, and strawberries and store them in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.
- Store the dressing in the refrigerator until you are ready to toss and serve the salad. You want to toss everything together right before serving so the lettuce doesnt get soggy.
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Strawberry Spinach Salad Recipe
My husband and I downed this strawberry spinach salad recipe in one day down to every last sunflower seed. Because this isnt just any obligatory salad, this bright and beautiful salad is loaded with a rainbow of sweet, salty, tangy creamy, and crunchy bells and whistles which will have even the non-salad lovers coming back for thirds.
And if you think you know strawberry spinach salad with poppy seed dressing this recipe amps the classic up a notch with the addition of creamy avocado, sweet clementines and salty, crunchy sunflower seeds SO GOOD! And of course, the pièce de résistance, the perfectly balanced dressing kissed with orange juice and laced with basil.
Or in other words, this spinach and strawberry salad is a back pocket ace for every occasion and a MUST MAKE recipe! Need a salad for Easter, Mothers Day or Fathers Day that everyone will love? Strawberry spinach salad. Need a salad for a post pandemic potluck side that everyone will love? Strawberry spinach salad. Need a salad for baby or bridal showers that everyone will love? Strawberry spinach salad. Its literally the answer to all of your entertaining, special occasion, lunch and dinner needs and taste bud desires.
What Ingredients Do I Need To Make This Strawberry Poppyseed Salad
- Skinless Boneless Chicken Strips cooked and sliced. You could use rotisserie chicken without the skin on. I usually use the Tyson Grilled and Ready Chicken Breast Strips or diced chicken that are frozen. I just thaw them out, season with salt, pepper, and paprika, and heat them in a skillet for a few minutes. You can find them at most grocery stores. Click HERE to search for a store location near you.
- Romaine Lettuce: Romaine pairs perfectly with the fruit in salad. However, you can also use baby spinach leaves or a mixture of both. Washed and patted dry.
- Strawberries: thinly sliced. Fresh is best for this salad. Washed and patted dry.
- Blueberries: Fresh is best for this salad. Washed and patted dry.
- Pineapple: Fresh is best but canned pineapple chunks works. Drain the juice.
- Mandarin Oranges: Panera uses canned mandarin oranges. Drain the juice.
- Pecans:I like to use toasted pecans. Raw or toasted work well. I use Trader Joes toasted pecans. I like to weight the pecans to ensure I get a fair amount for the point value. I use THIS food scale to weight the pecans.
- Poppyseed Dressing: You can use your favorite bottled poppyseed dressing such as Skinny-girl Poppyseed Fat Free-Sugar Free Salad Dressing which is 10 calories or zero points for 2 Tbsp, or Litehouse OPA Greek yogurt strawberry poppyseed dressing which is 2 Tbsp for 2 smartpoints. However I love serving this salad with my creamy homemade poppyseed. Click HERE for recipe.
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Why This Recipe Works
Many poppy seed dressing recipes turn out too thick and over-the-top sweet, with no poppy seed flavor. To solve the problem, we toasted the poppy seeds to enhance their flavor and then made a simple vinaigrette with red wine vinegar, a mini… Read More
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