This delicious spinach salad has a lovely homemade orange vinaigrette and strawberries, it all works so well together! Have it as a side salad or turn it into a tasty main by adding chicken or salmon.
When the weather is hot, there’s nothing like a sweet and savory salad! This strawberry and spinach salad is light, fresh and so tasty. Packed with goodness, it’s a cinch to whip up and can even be prepped ahead of time. Leaving more time for enjoying the sun (with sunscreen liberally applied of course!).
I added a chopped romaine heart to the baby spinach for more texture, and it delivers a satisfying crunch!
It’s a versatile salad too, working as a side or main course if you top with chicken or salmon.
Simple, fresh, delicious and easy – Enjoy!
How To Make Strawberry and Spinach Salad – Step By Step
For the Orange Vinaigrette:
- In a small bowl, whisk the vinegar, orange zest, honey, salt, and pepper.
- While whisking constantly, stream in the olive oil, whisking until incorporated.
For the Spinach Salad:
- In a large bowl, toss the spinach, romaine, red onion, almonds, and goat cheese.
- Add the strawberries and vinaigrette and toss to coat. Serve.
Strawberry and Spinach Salad – A Perfect Make Ahead Salad
You can make the salad ahead of time. Great if you’ve got a party coming up or you want a stress free meal! Combine the spinach and romaine in your serving bowl, cover, and refrigerate. Slice the red onion, hull and quarter the strawberries, crumble the goat cheese; place each ingredient in separate bowls, cover, and refrigerate until ready to assemble. Toast the almonds, let cool, then store in the refrigerator. Make the vinaigrette, place in a small container or store in a mason jar, and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve. Remove the chilled ingredients from the fridge 30 minutes before assembling to allow them to come to room temperature.
Health Benefits of Strawberries
Strawberries are not always a go to salad ingredient, but their sweetness works well with the subtle earthy bitterness of the spinach, the crumbled cheese and the awesome orange vinaigrette! But strawberries are also packed with great nutrients – so a win win!
Strawberries’ carbs consists mainly of fibers and simple sugars. They have a relatively low GI and should not cause big spikes in blood sugar levels. Dietary fibers are important to feed the friendly bacteria in your gut and improve digestive health. They are also useful for weight loss and can help prevent many diseases.
Strawberries are an excellent source of vitamin C, an antioxidant necessary for immune and skin health.
Strawberries also contain a good amount of Folate (vitamin B9). One of the B vitamins, folate is important for normal tissue growth and cell function — and fundamental for pregnant women and older adults.
So just a few benefits!
Homemade Vinaigrette – Perfect For This Strawberry and Spinach Salad
When making homemade vinaigrette, it’s crucial to season it with a pinch of salt and pepper. To help the vinaigrette ingredients emulsify (to better incorporate the oil into the other ingredients), add your olive oil last, whisking constantly while you slowly stream in the oil.
The orange vinaigrette is perfect to drizzle on top! Easy to make, it’s made with red wine vinegar, orange zest (adds a subtle citrusy fragrance), honey, salt, pepper, and olive oil. You can substitute apple cider vinegar for the red wine vinegar.
Top Tips For Strawberry and Spinach Salad
- Use the freshest ingredients available.
- For the vinaigrette, make sure to dissolve the granular ingredients before pouring the oil in.
- Because a vinaigrette isn’t being cooked, opt for the highest quality oils you have on hand.
- Turn this salad from a side to a main by adding protein such as chicken or salmon.
Check Out These Other Delicious Salad Recipes
Waldorf Tuna Salad with Greek Yogurt, Apples, Grapes, and Walnuts
Farro Salad with Kale, Sun Dried Tomatoes, and Chickpeas
Harvest Pear Gorgonzola Salad with Roasted Vegetables
Green Goddess Quinoa Summer Salad by Pinch of Yum
Summer Pasta Salad by Spend with Pennies
If you have tried this Strawberry and Spinach Salad recipe, or any other recipe on my blog, then please rate it and let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more delicious, healthy, family friendly food!
Strawberry and Spinach Salad
Ingredients
For the Orange Vinaigrette:
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons grated orange zest
- 2 teaspoons honey
- Pinch salt
- Pinch freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
For the Spinach Salad:
- 5 cups baby spinach 5 ounces
- 1 heart romaine lettuce chopped
- ¼ medium red onion thinly sliced
- ¼ cup sliced almonds
- ⅓ cup crumbled goat cheese or feta cheese
- 2 cups strawberries hulled and cut into quarters
Instructions
For the Orange Vinaigrette:
- In a small bowl, whisk the vinegar, orange zest, honey, salt, and pepper. While whisking constantly, stream in the olive oil, whisking until incorporated.
For the Spinach Salad:
- In a large bowl, toss the spinach, romaine, red onion, almonds, and goat cheese. Add the strawberries and vinaigrette and toss to coat. Serve.
This salad is amazing! Def one of my favs.