This spinach strawberry salad is topped with a sweet poppy seed dressing. A light, colorful, and fresh salad for the warm weather!
The other night I was making dinner and I started to cut up a cauliflower when a big bug crawled out.
:: Shudder ::
It was horrifying! I had the produce bag it came in nearby, so I wrapped the cauliflower AND the bug up and threw the bag outside. (Just for reference, whenever anything gross or strange happens in the kitchen – (ants on the floor, scary spider, meat that went bad before its date) – I bag it up and put it outside. Then Darryl comes home and deals with it. :)
Anyway, the bug. So gross! It was big, and it came crawling out super fast, like, why are you cutting up my home?! It was ready to fight. And I was thinking, Am I living in the Twilight Zone? What’s going on? And then I was all itchy and jittery for like an hour afterward.
I know that was apropos of nothing, but maybe it will explain why you will not be seeing any cauliflower recipes around here for a while. Which is too bad, because I LOVE cauliflower. Oh well, once I get over my fear of finding more bugs, I will be back in the cauliflower business again.
Do you have the jitters now? Here, look at this lovely spinach strawberry salad:
That’s better, right?
I love a good spinach salad. And I really love it with fruit – it just says summer to me. Berries and spinach just go together, like PB+J, you know? Plus, eating vitamin C with spinach helps your body absorb the iron more easily, so this salad is tasty and extra good for you! Plus, it’s so easy to whip up. Just a few ingredients, and a simple but delicious dressing that you can make really quickly. Perfect for lazy summer days.
This spinach strawberry salad with poppy seed dressing is:
- full of vitamin c
- fresh and healthy
- a perfect way to use summer produce
- quick to prepare – great for last minute gatherings
- naturally gluten free
Disclosure: This post contains afiliate links.
Recipe
Spinach Strawberry Salad with Orange Poppy Seed Dressing.
Ingredients
- 5 ounces baby spinach rinsed and drained
- 12 strawberries sliced
- 1 apple chopped - I used Granny Smith here, but Honeycrisp is a good choice if you want a sweeter apple
For the Dressing:
- ½ cup organic canola oil or another neutral tasting oil
- ¼ cup orange juice
- 1 ½ Tablespoons organic cane sugar You may need more or less depending on how sweet your strawberries are
- ½ Tablespoon poppy seeds
- 2 Tablespoons sweet onion very finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon mustard powder optional
Instructions
- Prepare the dressing: Place the organic canola oil, orange juice, sugar ,poppy seeds, chopped onion, salt, and mustard powder in a jar with a lid. Shake well until combined.
- In a large bowl, place the spinach, sliced strawberries, and diced apples. Toss to combine.
- Pour â…” of the dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Add the remaining dressing if desired, or place on the table so more dressing can be added to individual servings if desired.
Nutrition
If you’re looking for another way to use fresh strawberries, try this vegan strawberry shortcake recipe.
Here’s to a summer with more salads and less bugs! :)
Follow along:
Darryl
I just love this!
Espirational
That’s one of my favorite salads. Will have to try the orange poppy seed dressing.
Kelly
I hope you love it!
Bethany
My sister would love this salad!!
Christina @ Bake with Christina
I love salads with strawberries and apples, they taste SO yummy! And you salad looks perfect!! :)
Thalia @ butter and brioche
I am so making that orange and poppy seed dressing to top my salad with tonight, I’ve never used poppyseed in a dressing before and definitely am curious to know what the addition tastes like.
Strength and Sunshine
Omg! Ah! Ew……I would have just died!
At least this salad can put goof images back in my head <3
Kelly
I know! So gross, right?!? It was scary.
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice
Oh spinach salads are my favorite! I’ve never tried an orange poppy seed dressing before. This sounds so amazing!
Kelly
Thank you, Gayle!
Sarah @Whole and Heavenly Oven
Earwigs are definitely my most-feared bug. Yukkk!! But this gorgeous salad? I’m swooning here! I love strawberry spinach salads and you definitely bumped this one up a notch with that poppyseed dressing! Love it. :)
Kelly
Thanks, Sarah! I know, earwigs are so super gross!
taramdeal
Yum! This salad looks so light and refreshing! I love seeing how other people create salad dressings because I often go to my default of red wine vinegar, olive oil and dijon…simple but so tasty! I think I’m going to have to switch things up and give yours a try :)
Kelly
That dressing sounds really tasty, too! I will have to try it – thanks for sharing!