Strawberry Spinach Salad Recipe

No matter what time of year it is, there's always an excuse to whip up a nice salad. As you can tell from the title, this strawberry spinach salad uses spinach instead of iceberg lettuce or romaine, and if you weren't aware, spinach has a ton of health benefits. According to WebMD, this leafy green vegetable is full on wonderful nutrients while still being a low-calorie food. It's known to boost your immune system and also be great for your heart. Not going to lie — we love the sound of that! The salad also comes complete with feta cheese, roasted hazelnuts, strawberries, and a light and delicious dressing, making it perfect for a main course or a side salad. 

Recipe developer Jennine Bryant came up with this fresh salad recipe that checks all the boxes. "The flavors in this recipe are surprising, you don't often find strawberries and vanilla in a salad (at least not in England) but they come together so well and it tastes extraordinary," she raves. "It's a great dish to turn up with for pot luck dinners, because people are always intrigued! I adore fruit in salads and this recipe takes the concept to a different level." Bryant also shares that she loves using strawberries in any recipe that she can, "especially when they are in season and home grown, and a passion for making healthy, nutritionally dense food that doesn't taste healthy!"

This recipe involves a lot of fresh ingredients. You will need spinach, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, vanilla extract, poppy seeds, black pepper, strawberries, crumbled feta, and roasted hazelnuts.

To make the dressing, you will need a clean jar with a lid. Open the lid and add the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, vanilla extract, poppy seeds, and black pepper. Once you have all the ingredients loaded in, place the lid back on the jar and shake well to combine the ingredients for the dressing. "The special ingredient in this recipe is the vanilla in the salad dressing. It might sound like an odd addition to a salad, but it really complements the other flavors in the dish," Bryant shares. "The strawberries, the hazelnuts, the honey and the balsamic vinegar are intensified by the rich, sweet and aromatic presence of the vanilla." 

Set the jar to the side for the time being since you won't need the dressing quite yet.

For this step, you will need to take out your washed strawberries, a cutting board, and a sharp knife. First, hull the strawberries, then halve them.

Now, it's time to bust out your large serving bowl and add the ingredients for the salad. Toss in the spinach, strawberries, crumbled feta, and hazelnuts. Mix to combine. 

"I know that some people find feta too strong a taste (though the saltiness really gives a kick to this dish) so mozzarella or even a ball of burrata would make great substitutes," Bryant notes. "Pepper is another flavor in this dish that works really well in combination with the other ingredients, so the spinach could be subbed out or added to with some peppery rocket. The roast hazelnuts could also be swapped out for roasted pecans or other nuts." 

Right before you serve the salad, drizzle the dressing over the top and voila, you and your friends or family can dig in. As we mentioned before, this salad would be great as a main course or as a side salad. Bryant also provides a few of her favorite serving suggestions. "This dish is a great, healthy lunch option, or a lovely starter or side for an evening meal," Bryant says. "It pairs really well with other salads, meats and, of course, a glass of Prosecco, champagne or white wine!"

Anything left? "It's best to store any leftovers in the fridge, and use them within one day," Bryant says. We hope you love this refreshing salad.