Description
Strawberry spinach salad delivers Mediterranean-inspired freshness with minimal effort. Crisp spinach leaves mingle with juicy strawberries, tangy feta, and crunchy almonds, creating a delightful meal you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 10 ounces (283 grams) fresh baby spinach
- 3 cups (450 grams) strawberries, cleaned, hulled, and sliced
- 1 cup (150 grams) blueberries
- 1 cup (100 grams) pecans, toasted (some chopped, some whole)
Cheese Ingredient:
- ⅓ cup (50 grams) feta cheese, crumbled
Dressing Ingredients:
- 1 cup (240 milliliters) balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup (60 milliliters) honey or brown sugar
Instructions
- Create a rich, syrupy balsamic reduction by gently heating balsamic vinegar and honey in a small saucepan, stirring periodically until the liquid becomes glossy and slightly thickened.
- Allow the balsamic glaze to cool naturally, observing how it transforms into a more viscous consistency that will elegantly coat salad ingredients.
- Select crisp, vibrant baby spinach leaves as the salad’s verdant foundation, ensuring they are thoroughly washed and delicately dried.
- Slice ripe strawberries into elegant, uniform pieces that will complement the spinach’s delicate texture.
- Incorporate plump blueberries to introduce bursts of sweet-tart flavor and vibrant color into the salad composition.
- Crumble tangy feta cheese across the greens, creating delightful pockets of creamy richness throughout the dish.
- Carefully toast pecans in a dry skillet, releasing their nutty aroma and enhancing their natural crunch, then roughly chop to distribute evenly.
- Gently combine spinach, strawberries, blueberries, and feta in a spacious mixing bowl, ensuring ingredients are delicately intermingled without bruising.
- Transfer the salad into individual serving vessels, artfully arranging the components.
- Sprinkle chopped and whole toasted pecans across the salad for textural contrast.
- Finish by drizzling the cooled balsamic glaze in an elegant, zigzag pattern just moments before serving to preserve the salad’s crisp integrity.
Notes
- Quick salad that bursts with fresh, vibrant flavors ready in just 15 minutes.
- Homemade balsamic glaze adds a rich, sweet-tangy depth that elevates the entire dish.
- Toasting pecans brings out their nutty aroma and provides a delightful crunch to the salad.
- Feta cheese creates a creamy, salty contrast against the sweet berries and leafy spinach.
- Make the balsamic glaze ahead of time and store in the refrigerator for up to a week for easy meal prep.
- Swap ingredients like goat cheese or candied walnuts to customize the salad to your taste preferences.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 370
- Sugar: 22 g
- Sodium: 160 mg
- Fat: 26 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 20 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 34 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg