Spinach Strawberry Walnut Salad Recipe
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Try this sweet, savory, and tangy spinach strawberry walnut salad this summer when fresh strawberries are in season.
If you are looking for more refreshing salad recipes, try some of my other favorites: Watermelon Feta Salad, Cucumber Avocado Salad, Kale Mango Salad, Thai Green Papaya Salad, Broccoli Apple Salad, and Thai Watermelon Salad.
About Strawberry Spinach Salad
I love to serve salads for meals, and this spinach strawberry walnut salad is my current favorite.
It has the goodness of fresh and juicy strawberries, toasted walnuts, sliced red onions, and baby spinach. This perfect combination is topped with a beautiful strawberry vinaigrette dressing and finished with some soft feta cheese.
This salad is quick and easy to make. The sweet, savory, and tangy flavors make this nutritious 10-minute salad a good fit for dinners, potlucks, and picnics.
Be it a light summer lunch or a side dish for your weekend barbecue, this salad with strawberries and walnuts is just perfect for any occasion.
Ingredients
For The Salad – You will need fresh strawberries, toasted walnuts, feta cheese, baby spinach, and red onions.
You can replace walnuts with other nuts, such as pine nuts, almonds, or pecans. Candied walnuts also pair well in this salad.
When selecting strawberries, make sure they are fresh, red, and firm. If they have black or soft patches, don’t use them.
Try using fresh baby spinach for the salad. Frozen doesn’t work very well as it may become mushy after thawing.
To keep the spinach fresh for a long time, place it in an airtight container, cover it with 2-3 layers of paper towels, seal the lid, and refrigerate for 7-8 days. Rinse with water before using.
You can pickle the onions in a vinegar-and-salt mixture and then use them in the salad for an added zing.
For The Dressing – To make a refreshing dressing, you will need fresh strawberries, extra virgin olive oil, honey, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper.
Use good-quality olive oil, as it really makes a difference in the taste.
Honey adds a little sweetness, so you can adjust the amount to suit how sweet you want the dressing to be. For a vegan option, you can replace it with maple syrup or agave nectar.
Balsamic vinegar is available in the market under various brands’ names. Choose the one that you prefer.
How To Make Spinach Strawberry Walnut Salad
Make The Dressing
Rinse 7 oz (200 g) strawberries. Cut the top leafy part and chop it into pieces.
Add the chopped strawberries, 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon crushed black pepper into the small jar of a blender.
Blend until smooth. Your dressing is ready.
Make The Salad
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Arrange ½ cup walnuts in a single layer on a baking tray.
Toast for 3-4 minutes, or until crisp.
Remove the tray from the oven and let it cool for 5 minutes. Chop the walnuts into small pieces. Set aside.
Note: I like to toast a big batch of walnuts, chop them, and store them in an airtight container for snacking or later use in recipes.
While the walnuts toast, rinse 17 oz (500 g) of strawberries under water to remove any dirt.
Chop off the top leafy part, then slice the strawberry into 0.25 mm-thick slices. Set aside.
Transfer 7 oz (200 g) baby spinach into a large serving bowl.
Top with sliced strawberries, ¼ cup red onion slices, 2 oz crumbled feta cheese, and chopped toasted walnuts.
Drizzle the dressing on top. Toss the salad well and serve.
Strawberry Spinach Salad FAQs
You can add avocados, cucumbers, black olives, raspberries, blueberries, or any other cheese, such as parmesan, cheddar, or goat cheese, to your salads. You can select other greens, such as baby kale, rocket, lettuce, Swiss chard, or any other leafy green.
You can always experiment with the dressing. Make a combination of
1. Strawberries + balsamic vinegar + lemon juice + almond butter + maple syrup
2. Strawberries/Raspberries + olive oil + balsamic vinegar + mustard + salt + pepper
3. Classic Balsamic Vinaigrette is a slow and great salad dressing for this summer salad.
3. Olive oil + red wine vinegar + honey + mustard sauce + poppy seeds
Serving Suggestions
You can serve strawberry and walnut salad on its own for a light lunch or dinner, or with a bowl of comforting soup. You can also serve it on the side with your barbecue meals.
It can also be served for potlucks or summer house parties. I sometimes like to have this salad with garlic bread on the side.
Storage Suggestions
I would suggest making this strawberry and walnut salad fresh, as it tastes best that way.
If you keep it for too long, the baby spinach will wilt, and the walnuts will lose their crunch. So storage is a big “No” for this one.
You can make the dressing and store it in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Wash the strawberries and toast the walnuts to speed up the final assembling process.
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Spinach Strawberry Walnut Salad Recipe
Ingredients
For The Dressing
- 7 ounces fresh strawberries (200 g, hulled and chopped)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons honey (use maple syrup or agave nectar for vegan.)
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon crushed black pepper
For The Salad
- 17 ounces strawberries (500 g)
- 7 ounces baby spinach (200 g)
- ¼ cup thinly sliced onions
- 2 ounces feta cheese (50 g)
- ½ cup walnuts
Instructions
Make The Dressing
- Add the chopped strawberries, extra virgin olive oil, honey, balsamic vinegar, salt, and black pepper into the small jar of a blender.
- Blend until smooth. Your dressing is ready.
Assemble The Salad
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Arrange walnuts on a baking tray in a single layer.
- Toast for 3-4 minutes or until they are crisp.
- Remove the tray from the oven and let them cool for 5 minutes. Chop the walnuts into small pieces. Set aside.
- Note – I like to toast a big batch of walnuts, chop and store them in an airtight container to snack on or use in recipes later.
- While the walnuts are toasting, rinse 17 oz (500 g) strawberries with water to remove any dirt.
- Chop off the top leafy part and then slice the strawberry into 0.25 mm slices. Set aside.
- Transfer the baby spinach into a large serving bowl.
- Top with sliced strawberries, onion slices, crumbled feta cheese, and chopped toasted walnuts.
- Drizzle the dressing on top. Toss the salad well and serve.
