We love this strawberry spinach salad so much! It’s the perfect combination of flavors and textures: sweet strawberries, toasted walnuts, tangy goat cheese, creamy avocado, and crisp red onion.
This strawberry spinach salad is exactly the kind of salad I want to be eating right now. It’s simple yet it feels fancy, and the combination of ingredients is just so good.
We’ve been making this salad on repeat and plan to continue as long as strawberry season lasts. I just love adding fresh berries to salads! The natural sweetness of the strawberries is a lovely contrast to the savory greens and tangy balsamic dressing.
We love this strawberry spinach salad as an everyday side salad, and it’s also the perfect salad to share at a spring or summer holiday meal like Easter, Mother’s Day or Memorial Day. I’ve also enjoyed it as a light dinner, topped with grilled chicken or pan seared salmon to make it more substantial.
Strawberry Spinach Salad Ingredients
I can’t wait for you to try this recipe! Here’s a look at what you’ll need to make this strawberry spinach salad:
- Baby Spinach: It wouldn’t be a spinach salad without it! Of course, if you prefer other greens you can substitute mixed greens, arugula or even crisp romaine.
- Strawberries: Ripe, sweet strawberries make the best strawberry spinach salad.
- Walnuts: They go so well with the strawberries and avocado! We toast them on the stove for a few minutes to bring out their nutty, toasty flavor. Sliced almonds or toasted pecans are good alternatives.
- Avocado: Rich, buttery avocado adds creaminess and makes that salad more satiating.
- Red Onion: The sharp, slightly sweet flavor of red onion is a wonderful contrast to the fresh spinach and juicy strawberries. If you find the bite of raw onions overpowering, see my tip below to learn how to mellow their flavor.
- Goat Cheese: It’s creamy, tangy flavor works perfectly here. Feta cheese is a great substitute.
- Balsamic Vinaigrette: I use my favorite Balsamic Vinaigrette to dress this salad. To make it you’ll need olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, salt and pepper.
Find the printable recipe with ingredient amounts below.
More Dressing Options
You could also dress this strawberry spinach salad with a honey mustard dressing, lemon vinaigrette or poppy seed dressing.
Kristine’s Tip: Soak the red onion to mellow its sharp bite
I love adding red onion to salads, but sometimes the sharpness of raw onion can be a bit too much. To mellow the flavor, I soak the sliced onion in ice water for 5 minutes, then pat it dry with a clean towel. This way, you still get the sharp-sweet flavor, but with less bite.
How to Make Strawberry Spinach Salad
Start by making the dressing. Whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon, honey, salt and pepper.
Then, toast the walnuts. Heat a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add the walnuts and toast until they’re fragrant, stirring often. Watch them carefully, since they can quickly go from perfectly toasted to burnt!
Assemble the salad. Put the spinach, strawberries, toasted walnuts and red onion in your salad bowl. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss gently. Mix in the avocado and goat cheese last, so that they keep their shape. Then serve and enjoy!
Make Ahead Tips
There are a few steps that you can take ahead of time to make this salad come together more quickly. Be sure to toss everything together and dress the salad right before serving.
- The balsamic vinaigrette can be made up to one week ahead of time. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. If the oil solidifies in the fridge, let the dressing come to room temperature and then whisk to recombine.
- You can toast the walnuts up to one week ahead. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Wash and dry the spinach and strawberries up to a few hours ahead of time. Store them in the refrigerator.
- Slice the red onion a few hours ahead of time, soak it in ice water (if desired), then pat dry and refrigerate until you assemble the salad.
More Favorite Salad Recipes
Try one of these delicious salad recipes next:
Made this recipe? I’d truly appreciate if you leave a comment and star rating below! Your review will help others who want to try this recipe. Thank you! 💛
Strawberry Spinach Salad
Ingredients
Balsamic Vinaigrette
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey
- salt and pepper, to taste
Other Salad Ingredients
- ¾ cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
- 7 ounces baby spinach
- 2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
- ⅓ cup thinly sliced red onion*
- 1 avocado, pitted, peeled and diced
- 2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled, or feta cheese
Instructions
- Make dressing: Whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon and honey, plus salt and pepper to taste.
- Toast walnuts: Heat a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add walnuts and toast until fragrant, about 4-5 minutes, stirring often. Watch them carefully so they don't burn. Set aside to cool.
- Assemble salad: In a large salad bowl, combine the spinach, strawberries, toasted walnuts and red onion. Drizzle dressing over salad and toss gently to distribute the dressing. Last, gently mix in the avocado and goat cheese. Serve immediately.
Notes
- If you find raw onions too strong, you can mellow their flavor by soaking the sliced onions in ice water for 5 minutes. Then drain and pat dry with a paper towel.
- Sliced almonds or toasted pecans are good alternatives to the walnuts.
