Description
This strawberry spinach salad with Ruby-and-Emerald Layers is a vibrant, fresh, and family-friendly dish, perfect for busy weeknights. It offers a burst of fresh flavors and comes together quickly with minimal fuss.
Ingredients
Scale
- 5 oz fresh baby spinach
- 1 lb sweet strawberries, halved or quartered
- 4 oz crumbled feta cheese
- 0.5 cup toasted pecans
- 0.25 cup thinly sliced red onion
- 0.25 cup poppy seed or balsamic vinaigrette
Instructions
- Prep Produce: Gently wash and thoroughly dry the baby spinach. Hull and slice strawberries into halves or quarters. Thinly slice the red onion.
- Toast Pecans: If desired, lightly toast pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring often until fragrant and lightly browned. Let them cool completely.
- Assemble Salad: In a large serving bowl, gently combine the dry spinach, sliced strawberries, and red onion.
- Add Toppings: Sprinkle the crumbled feta cheese and cooled toasted nuts evenly over the colorful mixture.
- Dress and Serve: Drizzle with your preferred vinaigrette just before serving. Toss gently to coat ingredients without bruising delicate strawberries or spinach.
Notes
To prevent soggy spinach, do not dress the salad too early and ensure spinach is completely dry after washing. Be gentle when tossing to keep strawberries intact and spinach crisp. Look for ripe, vibrant strawberries in season and use fresh, crisp baby spinach. If you accidentally over-dress, add more fresh spinach to balance flavors.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Assembly
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.5 cups (215 g)
- Calories: 350 calories
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
Keywords: easy salad, strawberry, spinach, feta, pecans, healthy, weeknight meal, vibrant, fresh, quick