Fresh Strawberry Spinach Salad (Printable Version)

Vibrant blend of strawberries, spinach, feta, and toasted almonds offering fresh, crisp flavors for warm seasons.

# What You'll Need:

→ Salad

01 - 5 oz baby spinach, washed and dried
02 - 8 oz fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
03 - 3.5 oz feta cheese, crumbled
04 - 0.5 cup sliced almonds
05 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced

→ Dressing

06 - 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
07 - 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
08 - 1 tablespoon honey
09 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
10 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

# Directions:

01 - Heat a dry skillet over medium heat and add sliced almonds. Toast for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until golden and fragrant. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.
02 - In a small bowl, whisk together extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, and Dijon mustard until well combined. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
03 - In a large salad bowl, combine baby spinach, sliced strawberries, crumbled feta cheese, and red onion. Mix gently to distribute ingredients evenly.
04 - Drizzle the prepared dressing over the salad mixture and toss gently with salad tongs to coat all ingredients evenly.
05 - Top the salad with toasted almonds immediately before serving to maintain their crunch and texture.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • It comes together in under twenty minutes, which means you can make it on a Tuesday night without stress.
  • The contrast between sweet strawberries, tangy feta, and buttery almonds creates a flavor combination that surprises your palate every single bite.
  • It's naturally vegetarian and gluten-free, so you're not sacrificing anything by choosing it.
02 -
  • The almonds are absolutely essential to this salad; skip them and it becomes just another spinach situation, but toast them and suddenly you have something worth talking about.
  • Dress the salad right before you eat it or serve it—waiting more than a few minutes lets the spinach wilt and the almonds lose their crunch.
03 -
  • Buy the best quality olive oil and balsamic vinegar you can afford—they're the foundation of the dressing and will make a noticeable difference in how the final salad tastes.
  • Keep all your ingredients cold until the moment you assemble the salad; cold spinach and cold strawberries stay crisp and refreshing in a way that room-temperature ones just don't.
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