Strawberry Spinach Salad with Strawberry Balsamic Dressing
This strawberry spinach salad is fresh, colorful, and tossed with a homemade strawberry balsamic dressing that takes about 2 minutes in a food processor. Ripe strawberries, creamy avocado, slivered almonds, dried blueberries, and sliced red onion over a bed of baby spinach. My go-to summer salad for cookouts, potlucks, and weeknight dinners.
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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
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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.
Nutrition
Calories: 264kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 267mg | Potassium: 610mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 4480IU | Vitamin C: 45.5mg | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 2.1mg
