Strawberry spinach salad is the recipe that brings people to the brunch table even when they say they're skipping salads. Bright spring berries, tender baby spinach, tangy feta, sweet-crunchy pecans, and a dressing that tastes like something you made on purpose — it's what you serve on Mother's Day, at a garden party, or for yourself on a Tuesday because strawberry season is only six weeks long.
Salad
Easy
American
Strawberry spinach salad
Sweet strawberries, baby spinach, feta, and candied pecans in a bright poppy seed vinaigrette — the spring brunch salad that disappears first.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 5 min
- Total
- 20 min
- Serves
- 6
Strawberry spinach salad
Serves
6
Scaled 1×. Ingredients adjusted — but cook time, pan size, and oven temperature don't scale linearly. A bigger batch usually needs a bigger pan and a few extra minutes; a smaller batch often finishes sooner. Trust your eyes, not the timer.
Ingredients (15)
Candied pecans
Poppy seed dressing
You'll need
- Large serving bowl or platter
- Small skillet (for candied pecans)
- Small bowl or jar (for dressing)
- Sharp knife
Instructions
0 of 7
Nutrition
Estimated per serving · 1 serving
360
Calories
6 g
Protein
23 g
Carbs
28 g
Fat
4 g
Fiber
17 g
Sugar
360 mg
Sodium
What to look for when you shop
Best varieties
- Chandler — classic large, sweet strawberry; excellent texture for salads
- Albion — large, firm, and holds shape when sliced
- Seascape — everbearing variety; available late spring through fall
- Earliglow — small but intensely flavored early-season strawberry
- Everbearing (Quinault, Ozark Beauty) — lighter color but reliable
- Wild strawberries — tiny but aromatic; a luxury if you can find them
Ripeness
Deeply red all the way to the stem (no white shoulders), fragrant from a foot away, and slightly yielding to gentle pressure but not mushy. Pale or white-centered berries were picked too early and will be tart and hollow.
Imperfections are fine
Irregular shape, small blemishes, and size variation are all fine — often signs of an heirloom variety or unsprayed berry. Slightly overripe berries are perfect for salads; just trim any soft spots.
Good substitutions
- Strawberries + raspberries (mixed) for color and flavor contrast
- Strawberries + blueberries for a red-white-blue summer version
- Peaches in place of strawberries in July and August
- Pears in fall — poached pears with the same dressing is elegant
In season
US strawberry season peaks April through June, with California extending through fall. Local strawberries in peak season are a different fruit from supermarket winter strawberries — sweeter, more fragrant, genuinely red inside.
How much to buy
About 1 lb — 1 pint basket, or 2 half-pint baskets.
From a grower near you
Find your strawberry grower on CollectiveCrop
Supermarket strawberries are bred to survive shipping — pale-shouldered, watery, mildly sweet, reliably uniform. Local April and May strawberries are bred for flavor — deeply red, honey-fragrant, less durable, dramatically better. CollectiveCrop is how you find the grower who picks them ripe and sells fast. For a salad that's eighty percent strawberry, the variety matters more than any other choice.
- In season April – June (peak); May – October (extended in coastal regions)
- For this recipe 1 lb / 1 pint basket
- Freshness Picked within 3 days
- Imperfects welcome Second-grade produce works great here
- Diet-friendly vegetarian · gluten-free
- While you're there Baby spinach and tender greens · Feta and goat cheese from a local dairy · Local honey · Fresh mint and basil · Pecans, walnuts, or almonds
At the market
About 1 lb — 1 pint basket, or 2 half-pint baskets.
Best varieties
- Chandler classic large, sweet strawberry; excellent texture for salads
- Albion large, firm, and holds shape when sliced
- Seascape everbearing variety; available late spring through fall
Good to know
Tips
- Hull strawberries with a paring knife at a 45-degree angle — cleaner and less wasteful than twisting off the leaves with your fingers.
- Don't over-slice. Thick 1/4-inch slices weep less water than paper-thin ones.
- Make a double batch of candied pecans. They keep 2 weeks airtight and turn every future salad into something special.
- Soak the red onion in ice water. Five minutes transforms raw red onion from harsh to sweet-crisp.
- Add fresh mint or basil for an herb twist — 2 tablespoons torn leaves scatter beautifully over the top.
- For a Mother's Day brunch look, arrange the components on a platter rather than tossing in a bowl.
Storage
- Dressed salad: doesn't store — 15 minutes max before it weeps.
- Undressed components: 1 day refrigerated, each separately.
- Dressing: 1 week in a sealed jar in the fridge.
- Candied pecans: 2 weeks at room temperature in an airtight container.
Reheating
- Not applicable — served cold.
Make ahead
- Make dressing up to 1 week ahead.
- Make candied pecans up to 2 weeks ahead.
- Wash spinach and pat dry up to 24 hours ahead.
- Slice strawberries within 1 hour of serving.
- Crumble feta up to 3 days ahead.
- Assemble just before serving.
Variations
- Strawberry spinach with goat cheese and basil: swap feta for goat cheese; add fresh basil ribbons.
- Balsamic version: swap poppy seed dressing for 3 tablespoons balsamic vinaigrette with 1 teaspoon honey.
- Strawberry-arugula: swap spinach for peppery arugula — sharper, more adult version.
- With grilled chicken: top each serving with sliced grilled chicken breast for a main-course salad.
- Mint version: add 1/4 cup torn fresh mint leaves with the spinach.
- Walnut and blue cheese: swap pecans for walnuts and feta for blue cheese.
- Strawberry, spinach, and bacon: add 1/2 cup crumbled cooked bacon for a heartier salad.
- Strawberry watermelon: replace half the strawberries with cubed watermelon in summer.
Swaps
- Vegan: skip the feta, add 1/3 cup toasted chickpeas for crunch and protein; use maple syrup instead of honey.
- Dairy-free: skip or use a plant-based feta.
- Nut-free: replace pecans with toasted sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds; sweeten with the same method.
- Sugar-free candied nuts: skip candying; toast nuts dry and add 1 teaspoon honey to the dressing instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I use baby spinach or regular spinach?
Baby spinach — tender, pre-washed, and mild. Regular spinach has tougher stems and is often gritty, requiring more prep. For this salad's delicate texture, baby spinach is definitely the move.
How do I keep strawberries from making the salad watery?
Slice them just before serving, not hours ahead. Pat them dry after washing, and don't slice too thin (1/4-inch slices weep less than paper-thin ones). If you need to prep ahead, sprinkle with a teaspoon of sugar 15 minutes before serving to draw juice — then drain.
Can I make poppy seed dressing ahead?
Yes — up to 1 week in the fridge. Shake well before using since oils separate. Making it ahead lets the flavors meld, so same-day isn't necessarily better.
What's the best cheese for this salad?
Feta is classic — tangy and crumbly. Goat cheese is creamier and milder. Blue cheese adds bite. Fresh mozzarella or burrata work for an Italian twist. All pair well with strawberry.
Can I use frozen strawberries?
Not for this salad — frozen strawberries turn mushy and release too much water. This is a recipe where peak-season fresh berries matter. Make something else if local strawberries aren't available.
What goes with strawberry spinach salad?
Grilled chicken, quiche (perfect brunch pairing), a piece of crusty bread, poached or grilled salmon. It also makes a great light lunch on its own with protein added.
How do I candy pecans quickly?
5 minutes in a dry skillet: 1 cup pecans with 3 tablespoons sugar and a pinch of salt. Stir constantly over medium heat until the sugar melts, coats the nuts, and turns golden. Tip onto parchment to cool and harden.
Can I add protein to make it a main course?
Yes. Grilled chicken breast (sliced), blackened shrimp, grilled salmon, or rotisserie chicken turn this into a complete meal. About 4 to 6 oz protein per person.
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