Strawberry Spinach Salad
Do yourself a favor and make this strawberry spinach salad the next time youre in the mood for a delicious, nutritious, flavorful, easy salad with fresh strawberries, spinach, red onions, feta, bacon, and candied nuts then is drizzled with a homemade poppy seed dressing.
Servings:6 servings
Ingredients
- 6 cups baby spinach leaves
- 1 pound strawberries, sliced
- ¼ red onion, thinly sliced
- 6 bacon strips, cooked til crisp and chopped - see note!
- ⅓ cup feta cheese crumbles
Candied nuts
- ½ cup pecans or walnuts, roughly chopped
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Poppy seed dressing
- ⅔ cup mayo
- ½ cup milk, see note
- 6 tablespoons sugar
- 2 ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 4 teaspoons poppy seeds
- pinch of salt
Instructions
Prepare the dressing
- Combine all dressing ingredients and shake (if in a sealed jar) or whisk vigorously.
Prepare the candied nuts
- Place a skillet over medium heat. Add sugar to the pan and stir 3-5 minutes until sugar starts to dissolve. Once dissolved, stir in the chopped nuts til coated. Transfer to a plate to cool and sprinkle with cinnamon.
Assemble salad
- In a large bowl or serving platter, combine spinach, strawberries, onions, bacon, and cheese.
- Serve salad with prepared dressing. Enjoy!
Notes
For the bacon: If you're like me and love the added crunch and flavor of bacon in your salad but dread the bacon mess and smell in your kitchen, I've got you covered. Spread out 1/3 cup of real bacon bits on a plate lined with a paper towel. Microwave for 20-30 seconds til sizzling. Allow to cool slightly and add to your salad!
The dressing: Higher fat content milk will result in a richer, creamier dressing. You can swap out some of the mayo for Greek Yogurt for higher protein/lower calories - the result will be slightly less rich with a little more tang, still very delicious!
Nutrition
Calories: 493 kcal, Carbohydrates: 31 g, Protein: 8 g, Fat: 39 g, Saturated Fat: 8 g, Trans Fat: 1 g, Cholesterol: 31 mg, Sodium: 413 mg, Potassium: 419 mg, Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: 27 g, Vitamin A: 2884 IU, Vitamin C: 53 mg, Calcium: 105 mg, Iron: 2 mg