Spinach Strawberry Salad

Strawberries, spinach, and quinoa...Oh My! Try this beautiful spinach strawberry salad recipe with a mixture of spinach, strawberries, and quinoa, with a light poppy seed dressing or a tangy strawberry balsamic dressing; two dressing choices for one salad.

When spring is in the air and fresh strawberries flood the supermarket shelves, I look forward to making spinach strawberry salad.   In fact, I was pleasantly surprised to see a surplus of organic strawberries in the market this morning, so I took advantage of the sale. With strawberries in season, it seemed the perfect time for a spinach strawberry salad recipe. 

Jump to:

• Dirty Dozen Fruits and Vegetables
• Spinach Strawberry Salad Ingredients
• Spinach Strawberry Salad Ingredient Substitutions
• How to Cook Quinoa
• Making Spinach Strawberry Salad
• Choose a Salad Dressing Option
• Poppy Seed Dressing Ingredients
• Strawberry Balsamic Dressing
• Recipe FAQs
• Tips
• Vegan Salad to Eat All Summer Long
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Reviews

Remembering the dirty dozen when making salads this spring and summer is important. Although I always try to buy organic, certain fruits and vegetables are essential in the organic section. 

Strawberries and spinach, for example, contain the highest amount of pesticides. So, buy organic when making a spinach-strawberry salad. 

Dirty Dozen Fruits and Vegetables

1. Strawberries
2. Spinach
3. Nectarines
4. Apples
5. Grapes
6. Peaches
7. Cherries
8. Pears 
9. Tomatoes
10. Celery
11. Potatoes
12. Kale

Even though I always try to buy organic, it sometimes needs to be made available. Then, I choose non-organic produce with thick skin, such as pineapple, bananas, or onions, but I always try to buy organic first. 

Spinach Strawberry Salad Ingredients

The combination of flavors you choose for salad ingredients make a salad incredible. For instance, rosemary infused pickled red onions provide a sweet and tangy taste when mixed with greens, while the strawberries give a subtle, sweet taste.

The addition of red quinoa, for example, gives a nutty flavor without adding nuts to the spinach strawberry salad.  

• Red Quinoa: Red quinoa has a stronger, nuttier flavor than the more common white variety. It can also take a few minutes longer to cook and results in a heartier, chewy texture. Because it holds its texture slightly better than white quinoa, it's a good choice for grain salads.
• Pickled Onions: Rosemary-infused pickled red onions are tangy, a bit sweet, and crunchy all at the same time. We love to use a combination of fresh lime juice and apple cider vinegar when making them and find the combination of acids makes for a more refreshing, complex flavor
• Baby Spinach: Fresh baby spinach has a slightly sweet taste, which adds a delicious flavor when used in salads. Mature raw spinach has a mildly bitter taste and is better suited as an ingredient in recipes. 
• Organic Strawberries: Organically grown strawberries are sweeter and have a better flavor than conventionally grown berries.
• English Cucumber: An English cucumber is generally sweeter than the regular, common cucumber with many large seeds, contributing to their bitter flavor. The skin is thinner than a slicing cucumber and therefore doesn't need to be peeled
• Walnuts (Optional): Walnut flavor is, in general, fairly mild, but it has a complexity that includes some tangy and sharp notes. 

Spinach Strawberry Salad Ingredient Substitutions

• Any color quinoa works for this recipe.
• Or choose a different grain such as farro or barley.
• Choose collard greens, beet greens, or any greens of choice.
• Raw red onions substitute pickled red onions in this salad recipe.
• Blueberries, raspberries or blackberries substitute strawberries in this recipe.
• Persian cucumbers are similar to English cucumbers.
• Slivered or blanched almonds replace walnuts in this recipe.

How to Cook Quinoa

To make the most of every salad, include a variety of ingredients with the best nutritional value. Quinoa, for instance, is one of my favorite salad ingredients. Not only does it provide a nutty flavor, but it is also high in protein. 

For some reason, people struggle when cooking quinoa. So, if you need a few tips, check out How to Cook Quinoa.

Once the quinoa is cooked, it is best to cool completely before adding to a cold salad. 

Making Spinach Strawberry Salad

Usually, I like to prep my dinners or lunches in advance.

For that reason, it is important not to dress this salad in advance. Also, if using rosemary infused pickled red onions, I like to lay them on a paper towel to drain before I add them to the spinach strawberry salad.  

Another tip is to make a well in the middle of the spinach for the quinoa so all the ingredients stay fresh and don't get soggy. 

Once the quinoa is cool, place it inside the well, allowing it to stay fresh. Then, assemble the rest of the ingredients around the bowl.

Since the strawberries highlight this spinach strawberry salad, I dispersed the strawberries on both sides of the bowl. 

Additional Suggested Ingredients

This particular salad is spinach-based, but feel free to add any of your favorite greens.

Spinach is a superfood loaded with tons of nutrients in a low-calorie package.

Dark, leafy greens like spinach are important for skin, hair, and bone health. Spinach also provides protein, iron, vitamins, and minerals. The health benefits are endless.

• Tofu Feta Cheese
• Almonds
• Tomatoes
• Avocado
• Dried Cranberries
• Walnuts

Choose a Salad Dressing Option

Of course, the dressing brings it all together, which is my favorite part.

Since I do not cook with oil and LOVE dressing, I couldn't decide, so I made two different dressings to choose from.

I didn't know which one I liked better, so I made both and used a little of each to see which was the winner. 

When trying to eat healthily, many people make the mistake of using a lot of fatty dressing.

The healthy salad has more calories and fat than a heavy, fattening meal. Although the intention of eating healthy exists, it goes right out the window with the fat-laden dressing. And we all love a lot of dressing.

Poppy Seed Dressing Ingredients

• Apple Cider Vinegar: Apple cider vinegar has a fresh acidic taste that adds tanginess to the poppy seed dressing.
• Pure Maple Syrup: Pure maple syrup adds a natural sweetness without refined sugar.
• Poppy Seeds: Poppy seeds taste nutty.
• Unsweetened Unflavored Plant Milk: I sued oat milk because it is naturally creamy, but any plant milk works well.
• Coconut Flour: Coconut flour adds a thickener to the dressing.
• Lemon Juice: Fresh lemon juice adds acidity and freshness to the dressing.
• Dijon Mustard: Dijon mustard adds a level of richness to the dressing.
• Garlic Powder: Garlic powder is to dried ground garlic gives the dressing more depth of flavor.
• Fresh Ground Pepper: Fresh ground pepper adds additional flavor.
• Pink Himalayan Salt: Salt enhances the natural flavors in the dressing.

Strawberry Balsamic Dressing

• Organic Strawberries: Fresh strawberries supply a natural sweetness to the dressing without adding an additional sweetness.
• Balsamic Vinegar: Balsamic vinegar has a rich, complex sweetness that explodes in the mouth with notes of fig, molasses, cherry, chocolate, or prune. Traditional balsamic should pick up the flavors of the wood it matured in and may have a slight smokiness. Traditional balsamic offers a mellow tartness rather than a strong acidity.
• Dijon Mustard: Dijon mustard is tangy and adds richness to the dressing.
• Water: Water acts as an emulsifier in the dressing without oil.

I LOVE the combination of sweetness and crunch in every bite. And, if you want to pair it with a great spring soup, try quinoa vegetable soup or chickpea tomato soup.

Recipe FAQs

Tips

• Do not dress the salad in advance. Spinach is a delicate green that will get soggy if dressed in advance.
• Ensure the quinoa is cooled completely before adding it to the salad so the hot quinoa does not wilt the spinach.
• Create a well in the center of the bowl to add the cooled quinoa to keep the greens fresh.
• When adding pickled onions to the salad, place them on paper towels to remove any excess liquid so as not to bog down the salad or make it soggy.

Welcome spring with this spinach-strawberry salad recipe. Enjoy the combination of sweet and savory in every bite.

Vegan Salad to Eat All Summer Long

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