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Strawberry Spinach Salad with Balsamic Poppy Seed Dressing

July 3, 2018 by Emily Hill 24 Comments

This strawberry spinach salad boasts baby spinach, fresh strawberries, candied pecans, feta cheese, and the most amazing balsamic poppy seed dressing!

Strawberry Spinach Salad with Balsamic Poppy Seed Dressing -- This strawberry spinach salad boasts baby spinach, fresh strawberries, candied pecans, feta cheese, and the most amazing balsamic poppy seed dressing!

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Most nights our go-to salad is a Taylor Farms salad kit like I used in this 5-minute southwest BLT chicken salad.

Or even easier, I’ll throw together a classic Caesar salad. Both are quick and both are salads my kids love.

Strawberry Spinach Salad with Balsamic Poppy Seed Dressing -- This strawberry spinach salad boasts baby spinach, fresh strawberries, candied pecans, feta cheese, and the most amazing balsamic poppy seed dressing!

But sometimes I could care less what my kids love because I really want strawberry spinach salad with balsamic poppy seed dressing. And they don’t love spinach salad with strawberries.

I totally don’t get it since said salad has candied pecans and feta cheese. And then more candied pecans.

Did I mention how much I love candied pecans in strawberry spinach salad?

Before you freak out over the ingredients list for this spinach salad with strawberries, you can totally use Brianna’s Rich Poppy Seed Dressing. And you can totally use store-bought candied or glazed pecans. Easy peasy!

Strawberry Spinach Salad with Balsamic Poppy Seed Dressing -- This strawberry spinach salad boasts baby spinach, fresh strawberries, candied pecans, feta cheese, and the most amazing balsamic poppy seed dressing!

Even if you make this spinach strawberry salad totally from scratch, it’s a fairly simple recipe. And I bet you have most of the ingredients for the balsamic poppy seed dressing already on hand.

If not, you should because it’s the best. dang. dressing. For reals. It’s like candy.

Granted, the candied pecans do take a little bit of time—easy but you’ve gotta bake ’em—but they’re so worth it!

The recipe makes enough for leftovers. And there’s nothing like snacking on candied pecans after everyone’s gone to bed…

Strawberry Spinach Salad with Balsamic Poppy Seed Dressing -- This strawberry spinach salad boasts baby spinach, fresh strawberries, candied pecans, feta cheese, and the most amazing balsamic poppy seed dressing!

I find spinach salad with strawberries, feta, and candied pecans to be my favorite version of this popular salad. A lot of strawberry spinach salad recipes call for red onion, but I’m not a fan because it stays with me the next 24 hours. Gah.

But I do love the strawberries! Know what else I love? This super cute strawberry slicer.

Isn’t it adorable?! And I bet it would totally cut down the prep time of this salad, too!

Strawberry Spinach Salad with Balsamic Poppy Seed Dressing -- This strawberry spinach salad boasts baby spinach, fresh strawberries, candied pecans, feta cheese, and the most amazing balsamic poppy seed dressing!

You’ll also find versions of strawberry spinach salad with almonds or walnuts. In my opinion, you can’t go wrong with pecans; they make so many recipes taste good like this wild rice salad with avocado and toasted pecans, salted caramel pecan ice cream, or Grandma’s chocolate chip pecan cookies.

Strawberry Spinach Salad with Balsamic Poppy Seed Dressing -- This strawberry spinach salad boasts baby spinach, fresh strawberries, candied pecans, feta cheese, and the most amazing balsamic poppy seed dressing!

Candied pecans aside, what really makes this spinach strawberry salad is the balsamic poppy seed dressing. Sure, you can make your standard homemade poppy seed dressing, but why go standard when you can go stellar?

Balsamic vinegar is the perfect compliment to the strawberries and feta. And when paired with the candied pecans, you’ve got sweet, savory, and a bit of balsamic kick in a single salad recipe.

I guarantee you’ll want to put this homemade balsamic poppy seed dressing on EVERYTHING.

Strawberry Spinach Salad with Balsamic Poppy Seed Dressing -- This strawberry spinach salad boasts baby spinach, fresh strawberries, candied pecans, feta cheese, and the most amazing balsamic poppy seed dressing!

You could put the ingredients for the dressing in a shaker bottle like you do for my easy Asian ramen salad, but a blender is preferred for this recipe because of the chopped onion.

You don’t want onion chunks in your dressing! While I’m a fan of Blendtec, I’m kind of loving this Ninja blender. It packs a lot of power into a dang affordable appliance!

I’m actually thinking I may drizzle some of this balsamic poppy seed dressing on these sauteed brussel sprouts with bacon, craisins, and candied pecans. Doesn’t that sound absolutely divine? Mmm…

Strawberry Spinach Salad with Balsamic Poppy Seed Dressing -- This strawberry spinach salad boasts baby spinach, fresh strawberries, candied pecans, feta cheese, and the most amazing balsamic poppy seed dressing!

Strawberry Spinach Salad with Balsamic Poppy Seed Dressing

Yield: 8 people
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

This strawberry spinach salad boasts baby spinach, fresh strawberries, candied pecans, feta cheese, and the most amazing balsamic poppy seed dressing!

Ingredients

Salad

  • 1 lb baby spinach
  • 3 cups sliced strawberries
  • 1 cup crumbled feta
  • 1/2 cup homemade candied pecans (or store-bought glazed or candied pecans)
  • 1/2 cup homemade balsamic poppy seed dressing (or store-bought poppy seed dressing)

Balsamic Poppy Seed Dressing

  • 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tsp dry mustard powder
  • 1/4 cup chopped red onion
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1 T poppy seeds
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 cup canola oil

Candied Pecans

  • 3 cups pecans pieces
  • 1 egg white
  • 2 tsp water
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 T cinnamon
  • 1 pinch nutmeg
  • 1 pinch salt

Instructions

Candied Pecans

  1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Place pecans in a large bowl; set aside. Whisk together egg white and water in a small bowl until foamy. Stir into pecans. Add sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Toss to coat evenly.
  3. Spread coated pecans evenly on baking sheet. Bake 25 to 27 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely before adding to salad. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week or refrigerated for up to four weeks.

Balsamic Poppy Seed Dressing

  1. Add balsamic vinegar, mustard powder, red onion, sea salt, poppy seeds, sugar, and oils to a blender; blend until smooth. Refrigerate leftovers.

Salad

  1. Toss spinach, sliced strawberries, and feta in a large bowl. Add dressing (as much or as little as desired) and candied pecans. Toss until thoroughly combined; serve immediately.

Notes

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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 213Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 344mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 3gSugar: 8gProtein: 5g
© Emily Hill
Cuisine: American / Category: salads

Filed Under: food & recipes, salads, side dishes Tagged With: balsamic dressing, balsamic poppy seed dressing, poppy seed dressing, recipe, salad, salad recipe, side dish, spinach salad, strawberry, strawberry spinach salad

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Tilly

    July 3, 2018 at 10:19 pm

    Sometimes you have to be a little selfish, especially when it involves delish food. Your kids are missing out, but that means more for you!

    Reply
    • Emily Hill

      July 3, 2018 at 11:12 pm

      Exactly! Someday they’ll understand good food. ;)

      Reply
  2. Natalie

    July 3, 2018 at 11:41 pm

    This salad looks absolutely delicious and perfect for the summer! The poppy seed dressing sounds simply yummy!

    Reply
    • Emily Hill

      July 5, 2018 at 3:45 pm

      The poppy seed dressing really makes this dish! (And those candied pecans, of course.)

      Reply
  3. Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry

    July 4, 2018 at 2:50 am

    This is surely the perfect summer salad! So colourful and refreshing! That dressing sounds absolutely divine too

    Reply
    • Emily Hill

      July 5, 2018 at 3:45 pm

      Summer salads really are the best!

      Reply
  4. Jane

    July 4, 2018 at 3:09 am

    Wow, that is just beautiful! So many of my favourite flavours in one bowl :)

    Reply
    • Emily Hill

      July 5, 2018 at 3:45 pm

      So many lovely flavors for sure!

      Reply
  5. Corina

    July 4, 2018 at 3:28 am

    I do love candied pecans and this is definitely a recipe I’d love. I’d also be snacking on the candied pecans in the evening although my kids love them so there might not be any left!

    Reply
    • Emily Hill

      July 5, 2018 at 3:44 pm

      We totally snack on those candied pecans!

      Reply
  6. Krissy

    July 23, 2018 at 1:23 pm

    You had me at poppy seeds. What a great recipe!

    Reply
    • Emily Hill

      July 23, 2018 at 1:27 pm

      It’s one of our faves! So great year round, too!

      Reply
  7. Erin

    July 23, 2018 at 1:30 pm

    This is the one kind of salad I can get my kids to eat. I definitely need to try your poppyseed dressing. It sounds amazing!

    Reply
    • Emily Hill

      July 23, 2018 at 2:20 pm

      That dressing is worth its weight in gold!

      Reply
  8. Carrian

    July 23, 2018 at 4:20 pm

    This is one of my favorite salads ever!

    Reply
    • Emily Hill

      July 23, 2018 at 4:39 pm

      Me too! It’s the best!

      Reply
  9. Katerina @ Diethood

    July 23, 2018 at 4:28 pm

    Yep… I’d totally bury my face in that bowl. LOVE this salad!

    Reply
    • Emily Hill

      July 23, 2018 at 4:39 pm

      Who wouldn’t? It’s SO yummy!

      Reply
  10. Liz

    July 23, 2018 at 4:30 pm

    What a perfect summer salad! So delicious!

    Reply
    • Emily Hill

      July 23, 2018 at 4:39 pm

      Agreed! I love it!

      Reply
  11. Amanda

    July 23, 2018 at 7:48 pm

    Oh my gosh, adding this to my lunch list this week!

    Reply
    • Emily Hill

      July 23, 2018 at 8:29 pm

      Yay! I hope you like it!

      Reply
  12. Kim - Today's Creative Life

    July 25, 2018 at 11:58 am

    I was just saying this morning that I wanted to make a salad with fruit in it this week!

    Reply
    • Emily Hill

      July 25, 2018 at 12:23 pm

      This is a great option!

      Reply

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