Strawberry Spinach Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette
This Strawberry Spinach Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette is the perfect dinner salad or side for the warmer months of the year! This salad has a spinach base and features fresh strawberries, diced apple, walnuts AND feta, as well as a sweet, tangy homemade strawberry vinaigrette. This spinach salad recipe is especially satisfying when you can find juicy strawberries.
2025 Update: My friend, Madison, originally wrote and shared this salad as a guest post on my website when I had our first daughter. She re-shared this recipe on her website, and I have updated it to have new images, as well as more tips and tricks. I hope you love it!
In my opinion, there’s nothing better than a fresh salad… though I did not always feel this way, and neither did Madison. (We were both Caesar salad girlies for a while.)
When Madison originally shared this post, she mentioned that typically, salads will fall into two different buckets: savory or sweet. And how if she wants a sweet salad, it has to feature fruit on it and it should have a lighter dressing. If she wants a savory salad, it should feature veggies and a heavier dressing.
All that I know is I love a salad that has a variety of textures and flavors, and this best ever Strawberry Spinach Salad has them in spades.
Why I love this recipe:
Not only is this salad scrumptious, but it calls for simple ingredients that are easy to find in your local grocery store or even farmer’s market.
The combination of sweet berries with tangy feta, crunchy apple, toasty walnuts and crisp spinach is incredibly satisfying, especially when you take the time to make the homemade strawberry vinaigrette to drizzle on top.
If you ask me, this is a pretty and perfect salad for someone who enjoys sweet and savory together.
That said, this is a spring or summer salad, due to the fresh ingredients and wanting to find the sweetest strawberries you can get your hands on.
How can you serve this spinach strawberry salad recipe? Well, there are no wrong answers. Serve it as a family dinner (and add some shredded rotisserie chicken or grilled chicken) OR let it stand alone as a side dish for a number of occasions.
No matter how you serve it, this colorful salad is an excellent way to soak up seasonal flavors.
More easy salad recipes to make: Kale Mandarin Orange Salad | Blueberry Salad with Feta, Chicken and Pecans | Crunchy Chicken Cobb Salad | Turkey Taco Salad
What you need to make this recipe:
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- Food processor or blender
- Mason jar
- Large mixing bowl or salad bowl
- Salad tongs
Let’s talk ingredients!
In addition to the tools above, you’re going to need some ingredients to make this recipe, too! Chances are, you might already have some of them in your fridge or pantry. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full measurements and instructions.
Here is what you need to get from the grocery store or the farmer’s market:
- Fresh baby spinach — this is the perfect base for this salad recipe. Be sure to wash with cold water and pat (or spin) dry before adding it to the salad bowl. You can replace these with your favorite leafy greens, if you prefer.
- Apple — honeycrisp apples are my absolute favorite, but you should use whatever apple you like best. I personally think this is a great addition straight from the refrigerator, so the apple is crisp and cool when you bite into it.
- Fresh strawberries — ripe strawberries make this salad and its vinaigrette. Be sure to purchase the ripest, reddest berries you can find. I personally think this recipe best during strawberry season, even though strawberries are available for purchase year round.
- Walnuts — toasted walnuts add a lovely depth of flavor to this salad. You can us regular chopped walnuts or even candied walnuts, if you’re looking for something that has a little more sweetness.
- Feta cheese — Madison originally made this recipe with goat cheese, which is not my cup of tea, so I’ve updated it over the years to include feta crumbles. The combination of salty, soft feta with the sweet strawberries is divine.
- Strawberry vinaigrette — made with more fresh berries, this salad dressing is the perfect combination of savory and sweet.
Variations on this recipe:
- Add protein. Chicken breasts would be a delicious addition. So would salmon.
- Swap out the nut. If you don’t love walnuts, swap them with crunchy pecans or almonds. You could use sunflower seeds instead.
- Change the cheese. Creamy goat cheese is an easy swap for feta. You could also use blue cheese crumbles if you like those.
How to make Spinach Strawberry Salad
Make the vinaigrette. Blend the strawberries, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper until smooth. Give it a taste and add a pinch of salt and black pepper, if needed. Set aside.
Prepare the fruit. Wash and dry the apple and strawberries. Slice into bite-sized pieces.
Assemble the salad. You can do this in individual salad bowls OR a large bowl to mix. Add the baby spinach leaves, chopped apple, strawberries, walnuts and salty feta cheese. Toss gently to combine with salad tongs.
Dress the salad. Pour the dressing directly over the salad and toss before serving. Alternately, you can let everyone pour their own dressing on their individual salads.
Serve immediately, and enjoy.
How to store:
Store remaining dressing for up to 1 week in fridge in a glass salad dressing container or a mason jar.
If you have leftover salad, try to store it separately from the dressing or the spinach will become soggy. Also, the strawberries and apple slices don’t keep super well.
Erin’s Easy Entertaining Tips
Real talk: who could turn down a beautiful salad like this one when hosting their people in their home?
This could be the perfect side dish to pair with your favorite grilled proteins because it is a little lighter. You could also serve it as the star of the show with those grilled proteins on top.
Either way, here are some things I would do when making this salad to share:
- Double or triple the recipe. Depending on how you’re serving it, you might need extra,
- Make the strawberry vinaigrette in advance… and keep it cold in the fridge.
- Let guests dress their own salads… and add their own toppings, too!
Frequently Asked Questions
Typically a vinaigrette is three parts oil (olive, avocado, grapeseed, or another high quality oil) to one part vinegar (apple cider, white or red wine, rice, sherry vinegar or balsamic vinegar). Then extras like spices, fruit or fruit juice or herbs to add flavor.
The shelf life varies, but vinaigrettes can generally be stored in an airtight container for up to two weeks. If you are using fresh fruit, herbs or dairy in the vinaigrette, dressing will keep up to 1 week.
Switch out the walnuts for pistachios, pine nuts, almonds, or even a candied nut. Switch out the spinach for another type of lettuce like arugula or mixed baby greens.
Quick tips and tricks to the best strawberry salad
- Pair it with a basic protein and veggies as a side… or serve protein on top to make it the main event.
- Make the dressing in advance and keep it cool in the fridge.
- Do not make and store the salad for later. The vinaigrette will make the spinach leaves wilty, the strawberries will get too soft and the apple will oxidize.
- Swap in and out your favorite flavors. I’ve listed all kinds of fun variations on this recipe above in the ingredients section.
Want to make this beauty of a salad? Here’s how you do it…
Strawberry Spinach Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette
Ingredients
Homemade Strawberry Vinaigrette
- 4 strawberries
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Kosher salt to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
For the Salad
- 6 oz. fresh spinach washed and drained
- 1 apple cored and diced
- 5 strawberries hulled and sliced
- ¼ cup walnuts chopped, candied or regular
- ¼ cup feta cheese crumbled
- Homemade Strawberry Vinaigrette recipe above
Equipment
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Instructions
Make the Homemade Strawberry Vinaigrette
- Combine ingredients in a food processor or using an immersion blender.
- Blend until smooth, and set aside.
Prepare the Salad
- Prepare strawberries and apples.
- In individual salad bowls or a large salad bowl, add all salad ingredients, except the dressing. Toss gently with salad tongs to combine.
- Pour dressing over salad right before serving or let everyone pour their own dressing on their individual salads.
- Store remaining dressing for up to 1 week in fridge in a glass salad dressing container.
Nutrition
About the Author:
Erin Parker is a Southern gal living in Texas with her husband and two daughters. She started The Speckled Palate to share what she was cooking as a newlywed… and over the years, it’s evolved to capture her love for hosting. Specifically, the EASIEST, lowest key entertaining because everyone deserves to see their people and connect over good food. Learn more about her…
This looks and sounds so good. Perfect for this humidity in Georgia! xo
This looks and sounds so good. Perfect for this humidity in Georgia! xo