This delicious Strawberry Spinach Salad Recipe combines crisp smoked bacon, sun-ripened strawberries, sweet red onions, salty feta cheese, and crunchy walnuts with a homemade sweet, creamy Poppy Seed Dressing. You are going to absolutely love it. This is one of our all-time favorite spring and summer side dishes. We love to serve this salad for Easter and Mother’s Day. This fantastically simple and delicious salad is sure to become one of your favorites.
How do you make Strawberry Spinach Salad?
Let’s start by mixing the dressing. Whisk together the cider vinegar, sugar, grated onion, Dijon mustard, poppy seeds, and mayo. Next, fill a large bowl with the greens and add the bacon, strawberries, red onions, feta cheese, and walnuts. Finally, toss to coat with the poppy seed dressing.
Helpful Recipe Tips
- Use any mixture of spinach, romaine, and spring greens, as they all work well and taste delicious.
- This salad works with any fresh berries like blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries, or mandarin oranges, apples, or pears.
- If more protein is desired, add grilled chicken or grilled shrimp.
- Slice your red onions into very thin slices using a serrated knife.
- If you don’t like walnuts, try other nuts like almonds or pecans.
- For optimal flavor, use the brightest sweetest organic strawberries you can get your hands on, as they are the star of the show.
- Don’t toss the salad until you are ready to serve, so everything stays crisp and fresh.
- If feta is not your thing, then try very small cubes of whole-milk mozzarella, blue cheese, or crumbly goat cheese.
- For more texture, add sunflower seeds or quinoa.
- The dressing can be prepared up to 5 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
What to serve with Spinach Strawberry Salad?
- Warm rolls or French baguettes with soft butter
- Lightly sweetened iced tea with lemon
- Cheddar Biscuits with Chive Butter
- Spring rolls or vegetable egg rolls
- A cold soup like gazpacho or vichyssoise
More strawberry recipes to try!
Strawberry Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing
This delicious spring and summer salad combines fresh strawberries, crisp smoked bacon, sweet red onions, salty feta cheese, and crunchy walnuts with an easy-to-make six-ingredient creamy poppy seed dressing. This beautiful salad works as a main entree or a side dish for chicken or shrimp, or salmon.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: salad
- Method: no cook
- Cuisine: Southern
Ingredients
Creamy Poppy Seed Dressing
- 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon grated onion
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
- 1/3 cup plus one tablespoon mayonnaise
- Salt and pepper to taste
Strawberry Spinach Salad Ingredients
- 12 ounces mixed salad greens including baby spinach, romaine and spring greens
- 1/4 large red onion very thinly sliced
- 1/2 lb. strawberries sliced
- 2/3 cup chopped walnuts
- 3/4 cup feta cheese
- 4 slices crispy cooked bacon crumbled
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk vinegar, sugar, grated onion, Dijon mustard, poppy seeds, and mayonnaise. You can also add all the ingredients to a mason jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake it to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- In a large wide bowl, spread greens and top with red onion, strawberries, walnuts, feta cheese, and bacon.
- Drizzle dressing over the top and toss. Serve promptly.
Notes
- Use any mixture of spinach, romaine, and spring greens, as they all work well and taste delicious.
- This salad works with any fresh berries like blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries, mandarin oranges, apples, or pears.
- If more protein is desired, add grilled chicken or grilled shrimp.
- Slice your red onions into very thin slices using a serrated knife.
- If you don’t like walnuts, try other nuts like almonds or pecans.
- For optimal flavor, use the brightest sweetest organic strawberries you can get your hands on as they are the star of the show.
- Don’t toss the salad until you are ready to serve, so everything stays crisp and fresh.
- If feta is not your thing, then try very small cubes of whole-milk mozzarella, blue cheese, or crumbly goat cheese.
- For more texture, add sunflower seeds or quinoa.
- The dressing can be prepared up to 5 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
Keywords: how to make a strawberry spinach salad, strawberry and spinach salad recipe, recipe for spinach salad with strawberries
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Destiny
What type of onion is used for the dressing? It mentions a red onion for the salad but nothing specific for the dressing. Any suggestions would be helpful.
Beth Pierce
Just a yellow onion.
Renee Muench
One word….YUM
★★★★★
Chefmimi
Mmmmmm I love everything about this salad! The strawberries, spinach, bacon, walnuts, dressing…. Perfect for spring! Thanks!
Whitney Zamiar
Homemade dressings are the best, I am excited to try this! It looks like the perfect spring meal!
★★★★★
Laura | Wandercooks
This was wonderfully fresh and tasty! The poppy seed dressing was the perfect addition!
★★★★★
Sally @ Savory With Soul
Wow – this looks amazing! I usually just make a simple spinach salad with just strawberries and maybe feta. Yours takes it over the top! Not to mention (but I HAVE to mention 😉 ) that everything’s better with bacon in my opinion! Thanks for the delicious inspiration!
★★★★★
Beth Pierce
Thanks so much Sally! I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
Krissy Allori
This is my favorite salad. Strawberries and spinach are so good together. Loved it!
★★★★★
Emily
I’m so happy it is strawberry season again! This salad is so delicious, love the strawberry and bacon combo!
★★★★★