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Strawberry Spinach Salad

SaladsGluten FreeKid FriendlySeasonal

By Kristen Chidsey

5 from 14 votes

Updated Mar 18, 2026

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This Strawberry Spinach Salad is an easy, stunning salad fit for Spring. Bursting with fresh, sweet strawberries and tender spinach, this simple salad is elevated with toasted almonds, mild shallots, salty feta cheese, and a creamy, dreamy poppy seed dressing.

Looking for more seasonal strawberry recipes? Don't miss Strawberry Cheesecake Pancakes, Strawberry Bread, Strawberry Crumb Bars, and Strawberry Chia Jam.

Kristen's Keys for Strawberry Spinach Salad

I've made (and eaten) more strawberry salads than I can count. Some winners, some forgettable. This version pulls the best details together for a salad that's fresh, balanced, and actually worth making again. Here's what matters:

• Start with baby spinach. It is tender and mild in flavor, without the bitterness larger spinach leaves can have.
• Choose ripe strawberries. Look for deep red, fragrant berries. This is a good sign they will be juicy and sweet.
• Opt for homemade dressing. It takes just minutes to make the poppy seed dressing and and tastes far better than bottled.
• Toast the nuts. A few minutes in a dry skillet over medium heat wakes up their flavor.
• Assemble the salad right before serving. While you can prep the dressing and toast the nuts in advance, wait to slice the strawberries and assemble the salad until right before serving, so everything stays fresh and vibrant.

How to Make Strawberry Spinach Salad

Whisk the dressing, toast the nuts, slice the berries and shallots, and toss together. Easy-peasy!

Step One: Prepare Dressing

Whisk or blend the yogurt, mustard, honey, grated shallot, vinegar, poppy seeds, and salt together until combined. I find that a blender or small food processor makes quick work and yields the best creamy texture.

Proceed with preparing the salad OR cover and chill the dressing until ready to assemble the salad.

Step Two: Toast Nuts

Add the nuts to a dry skillet and toast over medium heat for just 2-3 minutes, tossing frequently. You will know they are done when they smell fragrant and are just lightly golden. It doesn't take long, so don't leave the nuts unattended.

Step Three: Assemble and Serve

To assemble the salad, toss the spinach with a small amount of salad dressing. Add the sliced shallots, strawberries, feta, and toasted nuts to the greens, gently toss to combine.

Serve immediately with additional dressing on the side.

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5 from 14 votes

Strawberry Spinach Salad

By: Kristen Chidsey

Servings: 6

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Total: 10 minutes mins

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Made with fresh spinach, juicy strawberries, toasted almonds, feta cheese, and a creamy homemade poppy seed dressing, this recipe for Strawberry Spinach Salad is both gorgeous and delicious!

Video

Ingredients 

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Creamy Poppy Seed Dressing

• ▢ ⅓ cup plain Greek yogurt
• ▢ ¼ cup Champagne vinegar, or white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• ▢ 2 tablespoons honey
• ▢ 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
• ▢ 2 teaspoons shallot, grated (see note)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ▢ ½ teaspoon kosher salt

Strawberry Spinach Salad

• ▢ 10 ounces baby spinach
• ▢ 1 cup ripe strawberries, hulled, thinly sliced
• ▢ 1 small shallot, thinly sliced (see note)
• ▢ ¼ cup sliced almonds, optional
• ▢ ⅓ cup feta cheese, crumbled

US Customary - Metric

Instructions 

Poppy Seed Dressing

• In a small blender or food processor, blend ⅓ cup plain Greek yogurt, ¼ cup Champagne vinegar, 2 tablespoons honey, 1 tablespoon poppy seeds, 2 teaspoons shallot, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt together until well combined. Alternatively, whisk the components together in a small mixing bowl. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Strawberry Spinach Salad

• Place ¼ cup sliced almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2-4 minutes, tossing every 30 seconds. When you smell the nuts, remove them from the heat immediately, so you do not burn the nuts.
• In a large mixing bowl, toss the baby spinach with ¼ cup of the dressing. Top with sliced strawberries, crumbled feta, and toasted nuts, and gently toss to combine.
• Serve immediately with the remaining dressing on the side. 

Notes

Note on Shallot: You only need 1 small shallot for this recipe. Simply peel the shallot and then use a Microplane to grate 2 teaspoons of the shallot into the dressing. Slice the remaining shallot to use for the salad. 

Nuts: Feel free to use pecans or walnut in place of almonds, or omit altogether. 

Spinach: Feel free to use spring greens in place of baby spinach. If using mature spinach, remove woody stems and chop them into bite-sized pieces.

Preparing in advance: The dressing and nuts can be prepped in advance, but it is best to keep the components separate until right before serving

• For the Dressing: Blend as directed and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
• For the Nuts: Toast the nuts as directed and then let them cool completely. Place the toasted nuts into an airtight container and store them at room temperature.

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Nutrition

Calories: 92kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 3gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 7mgSodium: 131mgPotassium: 346mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 4465IUVitamin C: 27.7mgCalcium: 104mgIron: 1.7mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Tried this recipe?Mention @amindfullmom or tag #amindfullmom!

This post was originally published in 2018 and updated in 2026.