Name: Strawberry Spinach Salad with Feta for Light Summer Picnic Meals
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 6 cups baby spinach (packed); 2 cups fresh strawberries (hulled and sliced); 0.5 cup crumbled feta cheese; 0.33 cup sliced almonds (toasted); 0.25 cup red onion (very thinly sliced); 3 tbsp olive oil; 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar; 1 tbsp honey; 1 tsp Dijon mustard; 1 tsp poppy seeds; 0.25 tsp kosher salt; 0.125 tsp black pepper (freshly ground)

Jump to Recipe

I brought this to Centennial Park last Fourth of July and came home with an empty bowl and three requests for the recipe.

The poppy seed dressing takes 4 minutes to shake together, the strawberries do most of the flavor work, and the feta keeps everything from tasting like rabbit food.

Strawberry Spinach Salad with Feta for Light Summer Picnic Meals

A bright, no-wilt salad built for eating outside in July heat.

4.5 (231 reviews)

VegetarianGluten-free

Prep15 min

Total15 min

Serves4 servings

LevelEasy

Ingredients

Salad

6 cups baby spinach , packed
2 cups fresh strawberries , hulled and sliced
0.5 cup crumbled feta cheese
0.33 cup sliced almonds , toasted
0.25 cup red onion , very thinly sliced

Poppy Seed Dressing

3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp poppy seeds
0.25 tsp kosher salt
0.125 tsp black pepper , freshly ground

Instructions

Toast the sliced almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly. You will smell a warm, nutty shift right before they turn golden at the edges. Pull them off heat the second that happens and spread them on a plate to cool.

Make the dressing: add olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey, Dijon, poppy seeds, salt, and pepper to a small jar with a tight lid. Shake hard for 20 seconds until it looks uniform and slightly thickened. Taste it on your finger. It should be sharp, a little sweet, and not oily.

Slice the strawberries about a quarter inch thick. Thinner than that and they go soft fast; thicker and they compete with every forkful.

Layer spinach into a wide, shallow bowl or container. Scatter the strawberries, red onion, and cooled almonds across the top. Do not toss yet, especially if this is going to a picnic.

Pack the dressing in the jar separately. Drizzle over the salad and toss gently within 5 minutes of serving. The spinach will soften and the strawberries will bleed into the leaves if they sit dressed for longer than 8 minutes. Add the feta last so it does not break down into the dressing.

Tips & Notes

Dry the spinach completely after washing. Wet leaves make the dressing slide off and water down the flavor.
If you are serving this at a picnic and need it to hold, keep the strawberries and dressing separate until you hit the blanket. Assembly takes under 2 minutes on-site.
Red onion in cold water for 10 minutes before slicing takes the sharp bite down without losing the crunch.
Goat cheese works instead of feta if you want something creamier. Use the same amount.

Nutrition per serving · estimated

220 Cal

16g Fat

14g Carbs

6g Protein

3g Fiber

8g Sugar

310mg Sodium

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Why This Salad Holds Up at a Picnic

Most green salads are done in 15 minutes once dressed. This one is designed to travel undressed, which means the spinach stays crisp and the strawberries keep their shape through a 30-minute car ride.

The wide, shallow container matters. Stack spinach too deep and the bottom leaves crush under the weight before you even open the lid.

What Makes It Worth Making Again

The poppy seed dressing is the reason. It hits sweet, acidic, and savory in one shake without needing a blender or a whisk or more than 4 minutes of your time.

This salad has enough going on texturally that it works as a standalone lunch. The almonds give it crunch, the feta gives it salt, and the strawberries do the work that croutons usually do.

Strawberry Spinach Salad with Feta for Light Summer Picnic Meals