Sweet and Savory Strawberry Spinach Salad

Whether from your own garden or from your local farmers' market, strawberries are always a fresh choice. So during this upcoming season of strawberry abundance, it's the perfect time to include them in your recipes. I just had to start off with this amazing Strawberry Spinach Salad with Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette.

This is one of the all-time best salads, and certainly a big favorite in my family. Not only is this salad beautiful to the eyes, but it's also incredibly delicious and easy to prepare.

Strawberries confirm my belief that we should enjoy food that is not only delicious, but beautiful, too! This salad satisfies both.

You'll find that this Strawberry Spinach Salad has the most delightful blend of flavors and textures—sweet, savory, soft, crunchy, salty, tangy—it’s all there. Every bite you take as you dive into this crisp salad, you'll taste a symphony of saltiness, sweetness, and tanginess in a perfectly blended melody of ingredients. This simple salad truly celebrates Mother Nature's generous bounty of freshness in one delightful bowl!

Tossed in a sweet and tangy vinaigrette and topped with crunchy nuts and creamy cheese, it’s perfect for serving a crowd or for lunch.

Strawberry Spinach Salad With Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette

Ingredients

For the salad

• 2 pints (small baskets) fresh, ripe strawberries, rinsed off, hulled and sliced
• 1/2 red onion, sliced into 1" long pieces
• 1-1/2 cups walnut halves
• 1 large bag of baby spinach
• 1 cup crumbled goat cheese (not Feta)
• Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette

For the strawberry balsamic vinaigrette

• 1 cup fresh, ripe strawberries that have been cleaned, husked, and sliced
• 1/3 cup white balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 4 Tbsp. honey
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 large clove garlic, peeled and minced
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 Tbsp. poppy seeds

Instructions

Prepare the strawberry balsamic vinaigrette ahead of time, so it is ready when you need it:

Place all ingredients, EXCEPT THE POPPY SEEDS, in a blender or food processor.

• Puree everything for 15 - 30 seconds. It doesn't take long at all.
• Taste to see if you want more sugar, salt, and/or pepper according to your taste preferences. (My family prefers a less tart vinaigrette, so we add sugar until it's just right for us.)
• Mix in the poppy seeds.
• Chill until ready to serve.

For the salad:

• Either on a large, flat serving bowl or arranged on individual salad plates, place all of the spinach leaves (or divide equally among salad plates).
• Place strawberries on top of spinach.
• Place red onion slices all over the top of the strawberries.
• Sprinkle the walnut halves all over.
• Generously sprinkle the crumbled goat cheese over the entire salad.
• Pass the dressing around to guests to ladle on individually.
• Enjoy!