Spinach and Strawberry Salad

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This simple Spinach and Strawberry Salad makes a lovely light entree or perfect side dish. If you’ve never made your own vinaigrette, this might just change your salad prep forever.

Combining spinach, juicy strawberries, goat cheese, and pecans creates a wonderful meal on a long summer day. With just four fresh ingredients and our homemade red wine vinaigrette, this fresh salad will be on the table in minutes.

Serve this salad with warm Rosemary Garlic Bread or a toasted baguette. Looking for more salads? We think you’ll love our Tuna Nicoise Salad and our Beet Salad with Feta.

What you’ll love about this recipe:

NO COOKING – Nothing in this salad needs cooking, which makes for easy cleanup.
HEALTHY – Both spinach and strawberries are rich in antioxidants like vitamin C. Pecans are a good source of potassium, calcium, and magnesium.
DELICIOUS – Spinach and strawberries paired with goat cheese and pecans are the perfect flavor and texture combination.

What You Need to Make Spinach Strawberry Salad

Fresh spinach
Ripe Strawberries
Goat cheese
Pecans
Homemade vinaigrette

Scroll down to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients and instructions to make this easy strawberry spinach salad. Serve it as a side with this Asian-inspired Coca-Cola chicken.

Additions and Substitutions

You can do so much with this recipe that changing a few simple ingredients will create a whole new salad, so you’ll never tire of it.

Any variety of leafy greens will work for this salad if you don’t like spinach, though this combination might change your mind!

Sometimes we add other veggies to this salad, like cucumber, celery, and carrots. All three give it a good crunch. Green onions or shallots add a nice bite. Creamy avocado is also delicious in this dish.

Other fruits also make a great addition. Think fresh berries like blueberries and blackberries. Peaches or orange segments work well, too. Seasonal fruit is more abundant in the warmer months, so choose the freshest you can find.

You can also switch out the cheese for salty feta cheese, blue cheese, or even mozzarella.

Changing up the vinegar gives a whole new flavor to this salad dressing, too, so try balsamic or white balsamic. A raspberry vinaigrette would also pair nicely with the sweet strawberries.

Try walnuts, pistachios, or sliced almonds instead of pecans when adding crunch.

Adding salmon, shrimp, or chicken will give this salad a protein boost, creating a filling meal the whole family will love.

How to Make Spinach and Strawberry Salad

The best part of this summer salad recipe is the red wine vinaigrette. It’s really what takes this recipe to another level! My Mother-in-law, who is almost 102, taught me to make her special salad dressing. This recipe is so flavorful you’ll want to have salad every day! Yay for more veggies!

Whisk together all dressing ingredients except oil. Once combined well, add oil. Whisk well. Set aside.

Place one cup of fresh baby spinach in the bottom of four bowls. Divide the strawberries among the bowls.

Break up the goat cheese into bite-sized pieces and divide between the bowls.

Top each bowl with crunchy pecans, spreading them evenly between the bowls.

Give the vinaigrette another whisk and drizzle over each salad.

Spinach with strawberries, goat cheese, pecans, and red wine vinaigrette in a white bowl on a white napkin with bottle of red wine vinegar and bronze serving set.

Frequently Asked Questions

What time of year are strawberries best?

Strawberry season is typically in the spring, but it depends on where you live. In Florida, they are in season from November through April. In California, they are best between April and July.

Is goat cheese high in calories?

Many people think all cheeses are high in calories, but goat cheese is actually low. It has just 76 calories per ounce.

How long does this salad keep?

This salad is meant to be eaten right away. If you have more salad than you will eat in one meal, consider adding the dressing one salad at a time. Store the salad and dressing in separate containers in the refrigerator and it will keep for another day or two.

Top Tips

Use only the freshest ingredients. Use spinach and strawberries within a day or two of purchasing them.

For extra flavor, toast the nuts in a 350º oven for 7 minutes.

Add the just whisked dressing right before serving.

You can easily make one salad in a large bowl to take to a party or cookout.

More Healthy Salad Recipes

Tuna Nicoise Salad

Beet Salad with Feta

Summer Salads Your Family Will Love