Strawberry Spinach Salad with Sweet Onion Poppy Seed Dressing
Irresistible strawberry spinach salad with sweet onion, poppy seed dressing, healthier candied pecans, and feta. Perfect for Spring and Summer using up fresh fruit! This is the recipe you can't stop eating, it's so flavorful!
Equipment
- 1 large serving bowl or plate, (enough to hold 8-10 cups of greens)
- 1 wide-mouth pint mason jar, (with lid for salad dressing)
- 1 round pie plate, (for toasting the candied pecans)
- 1 sheet of parchment paper, (for toasting pecans)
Ingredients
Sweet Onion Poppy Seed Dressing:
- 1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp granulated sugar, (see notes** to omit cane sugar)
- 3 Tbsp white distilled vinegar
- 1 Tbsp dried minced onion
- 1/2 tsp organic poppy seeds
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp coconut liquid aminos, (or soy sauce)
- 1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup avocado oil
Strawberry Spinach Salad:
- 1 head Romaine lettuce, (chopped)
- 2 oz spring mix, (2 handfuls)
- 2 oz baby spinach , (2 handfuls)
- 1/2 lb strawberries, sliced , (1 1/2 cups)
- 3 oz feta cheese , (2/3 cup)
Maple Candied Pecans:
- 1 cup pecans, (shelled, we pick them from our trees and get them shelled locally)
- 1 Tbsp avocado oil
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1/8 tsp salt
Instructions
- Make the salad dressing. In a pint, wide-mouth mason jar, combine 1/3 cup, plus 1 Tbsp of sugar, 3 Tbsp vinegar, 1 Tbsp minced dried onion, 1/4 tsp each of salt, liquid aminos, Worcestershire sauce, and 1/4 cup avocado oil. Blend until smooth using an immersion blender. Then fold in 1/2 tsp poppy seeds. Keep refrigerated.
- Make crunchy maple candied pecans. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a 9-inch pie plate with a sheet of parchment paper. Add 1 cup pecans, 1 Tbsp avocado oil, 2 Tbsp maple syrup, 1 tsp dijon mustard, and pinch salt. Mix together and bake for 27 minutes. Cool completely before using.
- Assemble Salad. Mix together the greens (Romaine, spring mix, and spinach). Then in a large bowl or serving plate combine the greens, sliced strawberries, and pecans. Drizzle a little dressing (not all) and toss together. Top with crumbled feta cheese before serving.
Notes
- If you don't have an immersion blender you can combine all of the salad dressing ingredients into a pint jar and shake well before using. The hand blender emulsifies the dressing so it doesn't separate while sitting. And is optional.
- To omit cane sugar and use a healthier sweetener, use 3 Tbsp honey and 3 Tbsp Sucanat for the cane sugar in the recipe. I often make this swap when I want to make a healthier salad dressing.
- Candied pecans are so good. If you are in pinch of time you can just add 3/4 cup of raw pecans or walnuts for the candied pecans.
- This salad is best eaten after tossing with the dressing. It gets soggy after sitting too long. So, toss as much greens with the dressing as you think you'll eat.
- When fresh fruit is out of season use 1/2 cup dried cranberries instead.
Nutrition Facts
Strawberry Spinach Salad with Sweet Onion Poppy Seed Dressing
Serving Size
1 serving
Amount per Serving
Calories
271
% Daily Value*
Fat
20
g
31
%
Saturated Fat
3
g
19
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
4
g
Monounsaturated Fat
12
g
Cholesterol
9
mg
3
%
Sodium
254
mg
11
%
Potassium
371
mg
11
%
Carbohydrates
21
g
7
%
Fiber
4
g
17
%
Sugar
16
g
18
%
Protein
4
g
8
%
Vitamin A
7617
IU
152
%
Vitamin C
24
mg
29
%
Calcium
110
mg
11
%
Iron
2
mg
11
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
