This spinach salad with strawberry salad dressing comes together in no time and tastes absolutely delicious. A sweet strawberry salad dressing made with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, brown sugar and topped with ripe strawberries and crunchy pralines will make this one of your next go to spinach salad recipes.
A healthy spinach strawberry salad you could take to work or make with a dinner recipe. This strawberry salad dressing does not contain poppy seeds, goat cheese or blue cheese, just a tangy strawberry balsamic dressing.
Spinach vs. Baby Spinach
Spinach and Baby Spinach both come from the same leafy green plant. Regular spinach grows to maturity and is then picked, lightly rinsed and tied together in bunches. Spinach sold in bunches needs to be washed to remove any soil debris prior to cooking and eating.
Baby Spinach is picked when the leaves grow to 2 to 3 inches and the stems are short. You'll find baby spinach packaged in square plastic containers after it's been washed and dried. Baby spinach usually doesn't require washing before cooking and eating, but it's always a good idea to wash greens before your cook them.
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Is Spinach Healthy?
Spinach is a healthy vegetable to eat whether you sauté it, boil or steam it. 100g of spinach contains 23 calories, 91% water, 2.9 grams of protein, 3.6 grams of carbs, .4 grams of sugar, 2.2 grams of fiber and .4 grams of fat.
The amount of protein contained in spinach per each 100 gram unit makes it suitable for most diets that are protein rich.
What goes with Spinach Strawberry Salad?
This spinach salad with strawberry salad dressing makes the perfect side dish for a Roasted Chicken Dinner or for a Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo.
Chicken breast or a nice pot roast make a great main dish to serve with a spinach salad.
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Ingredients
This salad comes together with the following ingredients:
- Fresh Strawberries
- Frozen Strawberries
- Brown Sugar
- Pralines
- Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper
- White Balsamic Vinegar
- Baby Spinach
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions on How to Make Spinach Salad with Strawberry Salad Dressing
Place rinsed baby spinach in a salad bowl.
Mince frozen strawberries, in a mini food processor. Add brown sugar and balsamic vinegar and continue to process.
Add oil, salt and pepper. Lightly mix.
Top salad with sliced strawberries and pralines.
Pour dressing over salad, mix and serve immediately.
Salads are great for the summer months and a great idea for a packable lunch. Make this spinach strawberry salad for work, just pack the vinaigrette in a container and pour it over your greens just before eating.
Or try an Arugula salad with Goat Cheese, Pears and Prosciutto for your next lunchable.
Top tip
For a tasty and sweet strawberry salad dressing, use frozen strawberries. Remember to take them out of the freezer and thaw them. Dress the salad just before serving.
Hint: Make your own pralines by melting granulated sugar in a saucepan and adding pecans once the sugar is melted. Let cool on parchment paper, then clean off any excess sugar.
Substitutions and Variations
Here are some variations and substitutions to consider:
- Heat - bring on the heat by adding chili to your dressing
- Date Paste - replace the brown sugar with date paste or maple syrup for a natural sweetness
- Red Peppers - add summer vegetables like peppers.
- Pecans - replace the pralines with unsweetened pecans or roasted and salted pistachios
If you know how to make this dish unique - add your own personal touch. I'd love to hear about it! Drop me a comment below and let me know what you added or changed to make this dish more special.
Equipment
Basic equipment like measuring spoons, a large salad bowl and a measuring cup are all you need to prep and make this salad.
This page contains affiliate links, which means I may receive commissions if you choose to purchase through links I provide (at no extra cost to you). Thank you for supporting the work I put into this site! As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Storage
Unless you are making an arugula salad for four, it's unlikely that you'll use up all the arugula. Leafy greens tend to spoil easily. One trick I learned is to place a paper towel in the container with my salad greens in the refrigerator.
Placing a paper towel in the container helps to absorb the moisture and keeps the leaves dry and fresh.
These ingredients don't stand up well to freezing.
Food Safety
Note that the storage guidelines provided on this page and site are estimates from personal experiences. We are all adults and as an adult you are responsible to ensure that the food you eat is safe to eat. Since, I'm not a food safety expert, you are responsible to review your local guidelines on food storage prior to storing any food left-overs.
Remember to:
- Not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
For Canadian Guidelines check Government of Canada's Food and Safety Guidelines, see more guidelines at USDA.gov.
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Recipe Details
Spinach Salad with Strawberry Salad Dressing
Ingredients
- 4 Fresh Strawberries sliced
- 1 cup Frozen Strawberries thawed
- 1 tablespoon Brown Sugar
- ½ cup Pralines
- â…“ cup Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons White Balsamic Vinegar
- 225 grams Baby Spinach
Instructions
- Place rinsed spinach in a salad bowl.
- Mince frozen strawberries, in a mini food processor. Add brown sugar and balsamic vinegar and continue to process.
- Add oil, salt and pepper.
- Lightly mix
- Top salad with sliced strawberries and pralines.
- Pour dressing over salad, mix and serve immediately.
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