Description
A delightful strawberry spinach salad featuring fresh baby spinach, juicy strawberries, crunchy candied pecans, and salty feta cheese, all tossed together and served with a zesty lemon poppy seed dressing. Perfect as a refreshing side or a light main course, this salad is easy to prepare and sure to please even the pickiest eaters.
Ingredients
Scale
Candied Nuts
- 3/4 cup 84 g chopped walnuts or pecans
- 2 tbsp 24 g brown sugar
- 2 tsp 9 g unsalted butter
Dressing
- 1/4 cup 60 mL light olive oil or grapeseed oil
- 1/2 tsp 4 g honey, optional
- 1/2 tsp 4 g poppy seeds
- 1/2 tsp 4 g dijon mustard
- Zest of half lemon
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1/2 tsp 4 g kosher salt
Salad
- 8 oz 240 g fresh baby spinach, washed
- 8 oz 240 g fresh strawberries, sliced
- 5 oz 130 g feta cheese, crumbled
- 3/4 cup candied pecans or nuts
Instructions
- Candied Nuts: Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper and set aside. Melt the butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped nuts and brown sugar, stirring constantly with a silicone spatula to coat evenly. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar caramelizes, about 4 minutes. Spread the candied nuts on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer and allow to cool completely, then break apart.
- Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing: In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, honey (if using), poppy seeds, Dijon mustard, lemon zest, lemon juice, and kosher salt until well emulsified. Let the dressing sit at room temperature for 15 minutes to meld flavors.
- Assemble the Salad: In a large salad bowl, toss together the fresh baby spinach, sliced strawberries, cooled candied nuts, and crumbled feta cheese.
- Serve: Serve the salad with the lemon poppy seed dressing on the side, pouring the dressing over the salad just before serving to keep it fresh and crisp.
Notes
- For a nut-free version, omit the candied nuts and add crunchy seeds like pumpkin or sunflower seeds.
- You can substitute feta cheese with goat cheese for a creamier texture.
- Use fresh lemon juice and zest for the best flavor in the dressing.
- If you prefer a sweeter dressing, add an extra 1/2 teaspoon of honey.
- Prepare the candied nuts ahead of time and store them in an airtight container for up to a week.
- Do not toss the salad with the dressing until ready to serve to maintain freshness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 183 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 268 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 7 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 33 mg
