Strawberry Spinach Salad

 Strawberry Spinach Salad brings fresh ingredients and a pop of color to your table! Tossed with poppyseed dressing, this easy summer salad recipe can be served as a side dish or topped with chicken for a light meal. 

Hold onto your hat. This is a salad you’ll actually be EXCITED to eat! 

Look, I’m not usually the first person in the room to rave about salad. This Strawberry Spinach Salad, though? It’s worthy of all the praise I’m about to heap upon its leafy greens. It is absolutely one of my favorite salads and was given to me years ago by my sister-in-law, Karin.

The combination of fresh spinach with sweet strawberries, fresh plump blueberries and juicy mandarin oranges absolutely explodes with flavor! Add the sweet and sour dressing and a handful of crunchy almond slices and this spinach salad is not only healthy–it’s downright crave-able!

A fresh salad with juicy strawberries and spinach makes me think of breezy summer days and gardens overflowing with abundance. It’s the perfect salad for the warmer months of strawberry season, but I also love to make this salad in the depths of winter to give me a little morale boost (not to mention a nutritional boost!). Sitting down to a brightly colored bowl of greens and fresh berries is a great reminder that spring is coming. 

Whether you’re a total salad enthusiast or looking for new ways to enjoy your greens this year, you’ll love this easy spinach salad with poppy seed dressing. 

Strawberry Spinach Salad Ingredients

One of my favorite things about this salad is that there are so many ways to customize it based on your taste preferences, or what’s in season. Here are the simple ingredients I put in my basic strawberry spinach salad:

• Spinach –  fresh baby spinach leaves are my preference! 
• Fresh strawberries, sliced
• Mandarin oranges – Use the canned variety with juices drained.
• Fresh plump and juicy blueberries
• Sliced almonds – Slivered almond pieces are perfect. 

Poppy Seed Dressing Ingredients

• Granulated white sugar
• Apple cider vinegar
• Poppy seeds
• Minced onion
• Paprika
• Worcestershire sauce
• Canola oil 

Review the recipe card below for the exact amounts of each ingredient!

How to make this Strawberry Spinach Salad Recipe

You don’t really need a tutorial to make a spinach strawberry salad!

In a large bowl, place the spinach, strawberries, drained mandarin oranges, blueberries and almonds. I try to make it look pretty for guests, but otherwise, I mix it all together.

How to make Poppy Seed Salad Dressing

1. In a blender, combine the sugar, apple cider vinegar, poppy seeds, onion, paprika, and Worcestershire sauce. Blend until well combined.
2. With the blender on low, slowly pour in the canola oil through the opening of the cover. Mix thoroughly.
3. If you don’t have a blender, you can whisk the ingredients together in a small bowl until everything is well incorporated. Be sure to mince the onion very finely and whisk in the canola oil continuously as you add it to help ensure a smooth mixture.
4. Store the dressing in a mason jar or other airtight container for several days. Dress the salad just before serving, as the spinach will become limp if it is dressed too early.

Recipe Variations and Substitutions

• Instead of strawberries and/or blueberries, add some grapes that are cut in half.
• I love this with very thinly sliced apples instead of mandarin oranges.
• Use walnuts or pecans instead of almonds. You could also use another crunchy ingredient like sunflower seeds.
• The dressing can be made with red wine vinegar or white wine vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar.
• You can use light-tasting olive oil instead of canola oil if desired.
• Change it up and make this Mandarin Orange Ginger Dressing to toss it in. It will give you a lovely pop of flavor and accentuate the mandarin oranges already in the salad!
• It’s also great with a balsamic dressing or my Blue Cheese Gorgonzola Dressing!

It’s so easy to mix it up in different ways so you never get bored. 

Can I add chicken or another protein?

Absolutely! Grilled chicken breasts, chopped or shredded, turn this delicious salad into a satisfying and healthy meal. You can even go the super easy route and pick up a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store to serve on top of this salad. 

I love goat cheese and if you do, too, you’ll find that it’s a delicious addition to spinach and strawberry salads. Creamy feta cheese is another great option. 

I try to add chicken to my salads whenever I get the chance, like in this Cobb Salad Recipe. A good amount of protein, veggies, and lettuce and I’m good to go!

What should I serve with this delicious Strawberry Spinach Salad?

As a side dish, this beautiful salad pairs perfectly with almost any main dish. It’s delicious served with Lemon Herb Roasted Chicken and a basket of Dinner Rolls for a Sunday dinner.

Today’s salad recipe makes a great addition to a potluck meal too. Bring a big bowl of this salad and some BBQ Pork Mac & Cheese for a balance of hearty and healthy dishes!

How many servings are in this recipe?

This recipe will serve about 6 people. Feel free to double or triple it for a larger crowd!

More Salad Recipes

• Looking for a great low-carb lunch idea? These Avocado Tuna Salad Lettuce Wraps are delicious and easy to make. Or skip the tuna altogether and make this easy and flavorful Avocado Salad.
• Spinach and arugula are the main greens at play in this Couscous Chicken Salad. It’s loaded with bell peppers, mushrooms, and feta too, then finished with a spicy paprika dressing.
• Greek Quinoa Chicken Salad makes a regular appearance on our lunch and dinner menus, especially in the summer. With or without the olives, the flavor is incredible.

The best Strawberry Spinach Salad comes together in no time. Bursting with juicy mandarin oranges and sweet strawberries, it’s a salad that packs in as much flavor as it does nutrients.

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