This strawberry spinach salad is one of my go-to recipes as soon as strawberries are in season. Fresh spinach, juicy strawberries, creamy avocado, slivered almonds, dried blueberries, and sliced red onion, all tossed with my strawberry balsamic vinaigrette.
I serve this as a side all summer long, but add some grilled chicken or salmon on top and it’s a full meal.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Ingredient Notes
- Spinach – Use fresh baby spinach, not mature spinach. Baby spinach is more tender and doesn’t need to be chopped. Give it a good wash and dry it well so the dressing doesn’t get watered down.
- Strawberries – You want ripe, firm strawberries. Hull them and slice into quarters so you get a piece of strawberry in every bite. If they’re soft or mushy, the salad will look tired fast.
- Red onion – Slice it thin. The sharp bite against the sweet strawberries is what makes this salad work. If raw onion is too strong for you, soak the slices in cold water for 10 minutes before adding.
- Dried blueberries – Dried cranberries work too if that’s what you have.
- Strawberry balsamic dressing – The full recipe is in the card below, but I also have a standalone strawberry balsamic vinaigrette post with more detail if you want to make a bigger batch or use it on other salads.
Use dried blueberries instead of cranberries
Most spinach salads use dried cranberries, but I swap them for dried blueberries to lean into the berry theme. They’re a little less tart than cranberries, which works better with the sweetness of the strawberries and the balsamic dressing. You can find them in the same aisle as dried cranberries at most grocery stores.
Recipe FAQs
You can prep all the components ahead, but don’t toss with the dressing until you’re ready to serve. The spinach wilts and the strawberries break down quickly once dressed. Store the salad and dressing separately in the fridge for up to a day.
Expert Tips
Storage
Undressed salad: Store the salad components (without dressing) in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 day. Add the avocado right before serving so it doesn’t brown.
Dressing: Store leftover strawberry balsamic dressing in a jar or airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Give it a shake or stir before using since it may separate.
Serving Suggestions
For a light summer dinner, pair this salad with my honey glazed salmon with avocado mango salsa. The sweet honey glaze on the salmon complements the berry dressing perfectly. If you’re serving a crowd, add my gluten-free pasta salad and quinoa chickpea salad to the table for a full spread that can all be made ahead. To turn this into a main course, top the salad with sliced grilled chicken or salmon and serve with a side of my gluten-free garlic bread.
Strawberry Spinach Salad with Strawberry Balsamic Dressing
Ingredients
For the Strawberry Balsamic Dressing:
- 1 cup strawberries - hulled and quartered (about 6-8 medium strawberries)
- ⅓ cup olive oil - or avocado oil
- ⅓ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey - or maple syrup if vegan
- 1 tablespoon stone ground mustard - or dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
For the Salad
- 10 oz fresh baby spinach - about 6 packed cups
- 1 cup strawberries - hulled and quartered
- ½ red onion - thinly sliced
- ¼ cup dried blueberries
- ¼ cup sliced almonds - or slivered almonds
- 1 avocado - sliced or diced
**Use the toggle button above to turn the instruction photos on and off!
Instructions
Make the dressing:
- Add 1 cup strawberries, ⅓ cup olive oil, ⅓ cup balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon stone ground mustard, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon ground black pepper to a food processor.
- Process for 1-2 minutes until completely smooth with no visible strawberry chunks. Taste and adjust salt or vinegar if needed. The dressing should be pourable, not thick. Transfer to a jar or small bowl and set aside.
Assemble the salad:
- Add 10 oz fresh baby spinach to a large serving bowl or platter.
- Arrange 1 cup strawberries, ½ red onion, ¼ cup dried blueberries, and ¼ cup sliced almonds over the spinach.
- Slice 1 avocadoand add it to the salad right before serving so it doesn't brown.
- Either drizzle the dressing over the salad and gently toss, or serve the dressing on the side for guests to add their own. You won't need all of the dressing for one salad, so start with about half and add more as needed.
Notes
- Leftover Dressing Note: This makes more dressing than one salad needs. Start with about half, toss, and add more as you go. Store the rest in a jar in the fridge for up to 1 week
- Gluten-Free Note: Every ingredient in this salad and dressing is naturally gluten-free. If you’re using store-bought dried blueberries or cranberries, check the label to confirm.
- Make it a meal: Top with grilled chicken, salmon, or tofu to turn this from a side into dinner.
Definitely a yum! I brought the ingredients in separate containers for an office “picnic” meeting, and tossed it there, with dressing on the side. A half recipe was perfect for the three of us in our meeting. One little change I had to make worked just fine. I forgot the dried blueberries at Trader Joe’s, and so I substituted Harry and David dried mixed dried fruit, which I had chopped into currant-sized bites. I’d been wondering how I should use those! The slivered almonds gave it lots of crunch. Since I made a half recipe for lunch, my husband and I are sharing the second half tonight. I’ll be back to check out other recipes from Megan!
Thanks so much, Mary!!