Strawberry Spinach Salad

Yesterday I did a small water bath canning class at my house.  We had a good time and everyone went home with a jar of strawberry preserves.  Of course I’d bought more fruit than I needed because just in case and you never know.  (Old catering habits die hard.)  So this morning I woke up to an extra pound and a half of ripe strawberries that were getting more ripe by the second.  I also had a bag of spinach.  So I dealt with all of it by making a fammily favorite retro favorite:  Strawberry Spinach Salad.

The Internet doesn’t seem to know who first tossed together strawberries and spinach.  I know I saw  Strawberry Spinach Salad on restaurant menus in the late 1980’s.  Maybe people were getting tired of that hot bacon grease dressing on spinach salads by then?  I’m not sure.  I do know that some recipes include crumbled bacon on Strawberry Spinach Salad, though.

Most recipes include nuts of some sort.  Sugared pecans are common, but I don’t think the salad needs quite that much sweetness, your mileage may vary.  Regular pecans, almonds, and walnuts are all popular, and I’ve used pistachios, too.  

Sweet poppy seed dressing is very popular on Strawberry Spinach Salad, but I prefer balsamic vinaigrette.  Balsamic vinegar has a lovely naturally-occuring sweetness from the grapes used to make it, but doesn’t have any added sugar.  (Note that bottled balsamic vinaigrette often does have added sugar.)  But balsamic vinegar is a terrific pairing with strawberries.  In the same way that coffee makes chocolate taste more intensely chocolaty, balsamic vinegar makes strawberries taste like the best red, ripe strawberries you’ve ever had.  It also plays nicely with spinach, whether you’re including strawberries or not.  I’ve included a super simple  and quick homemade balsamic vinaigrette that you’ll want to keep on hand all the time.

So what do you serve Strawberry Spinach Salad alongside?  Chicken, of course!  Strawberry Spinach Salad is AWESOME with chicken.  I love it with fried chicken–check your local gas station–spicy chicken, grilled chicken, naked chicken, even BBQ chicken, and chicken salad.  For these photos, I’ve served it with simple buttermilk brined chicken breasts that I cooked in a cast iron skillet, and then doused with more balsamic vinaigrette.  That’s what we had for dinner tonight.  Princess Persnickety told me, “I have never gobbled down strawberries or spinach so fast.  This is delicious.”

Happy Spring!

Print Recipe

Strawberry Spinach Salad

Make 4 side salads, 2 meal salads, or one big, beautiful salad for a crowd.

Ingredients

Salad

• 1 bag fresh baby spinach, 5 or 6 oz.
• ¾ cup sliced fresh strawberries
• ½ cup pecans, walnuts, or pistachios
• ⅓ cup crumbled feta

Dressing

• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
• ⅓ cup olive oil
• 1 t. Dijon mustard
• a pinch each of salt and pepper

Instructions

• Pick through the spinach, discarding any bruised bits. Remove the largest stems, and tear the largest leaves into bite-sized pieces. Divide the spinach among serving plates, or arrange all spinach on a serving platter.
• Sprinkle the strawberries, nuts, and feta evenly on top of the spinach plates or platter.
• Combine the dressing ingredients in a half-pint jar with a tight lid. Shake until well combined.
• Just before serving drizzle dressing over the salad(s).