Looking for a bright, light, fresh summertime salad? How about fresh baby spinach leaves, slices of juicy ripe strawberries, chunks of creamy goat cheese, and crunchy candied walnuts all drizzled with a sweet and tangy poppy seed viniagrette? It just screams summertime!
Since we were talking about strawberries this week, I couldn’t resist making this when asked to bring a salad to Liz’s birthday party last evening.
Candying the walnuts is a cinch and homemade dressing makes it so much fresher. This salad is super easy and bursting with flavor.
Enjoy!
Strawberry Spinach Salad with Homemade Poppy Seed Dressing
Ingredients:
- Large bunch or bag of fresh baby spinach leaves
- 1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
- 1/2 cup goat cheese, broken into chunks
- 1/2 cup candied walnuts
- 1/8 cup powdered sugar
- pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
- pinch of salt
- Poppy seed dressing
- 1/8 cup white vinegar
- 1/8 cup sugar
- 1/4 tsp shallot or onion powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground mustard
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 Tbsp poppy seeds
Directions:
- Prepare candied walnuts:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Mix dry ingredients in small bowl. Set aside.
- Blanch walnuts in a small saucepan of boiling water for 3 minutes, and drain.
- Mix sugar and walnuts together, and spread onto baking sheet.
- Bake 10 minutes until golden.
- Prepare dressing:
- Whisk together vinegar and sugar until sugar is pretty much dissolved. Add in shallot powder, salt, ground mustard.
- Whisk in olive oil.
- Stir in poppy seeds.
- When ready to serve, toss spinach leaves with poppy seed dressing thoroughly.
- Stir in sliced strawberries, goat cheese, and candied walnuts.
- A protein can be added for a full meal (i.e. chicken breast slices, steak slices, salmon chunks
Happy Friday! Enjoy the weekend, and have fun doing things at life in between.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Sure does look delicious Jodi! Looks like a great recipe for when you need a “special” salad. Have a great weekend!
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Thanks PJ! Happy Weekend to you too!
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This is a beautiful photo. Food photography is really very difficult and you’ve done a great job. Oh and, I’ll be right over.
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Thank you Sylvia. Food photography is my favorite 🙂
Oh – and c’mon over – I can whip up some more!
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Lucky Liz and crew to have this scrumptious salad last night. Looks delish !
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Thank Stephanie. We all enjoyed it – and none leftover 🙂 Her mom made an amazing no-mayo lighter-version potato salad that I have to get the recipe for 🙂
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Oh, delicious. This is my favorite salad! Gorgeous photos. I haven’t tried it with goat cheese yet. Dinner! Thanks Jodi.
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Glad I could inspire your dinner tonight, Jo. I think the goat cheese MAKES it! and the nuts – YUM YUM!!! 🙂
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Creativity personified! 💜 Happyyyyy Fridaaaaaayyyyy!
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I think I like photographing food the best! 🙂
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You’re BEAST at it; no wonder!!
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I know I’m not the prettiest …. But BEAST??!!😝
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:))) LensBeastKitchenista!
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This will be today’s lunch! Thanks!
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ENJOY! happy to help with your lunch menu! May I come join you? 🙂
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Looks delish!!! Thanks for the recipe! 😊🍓🌞
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You’re very welcome! ENJOY! It creates sunshine! 🙂
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Gosh–this looks and sounds delicious!
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Thanks – hope you’ll try it 🙂
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Looks like something I’d get at an expensive restaurant and eat al fresco – yummo. I love fruit in my salad.
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This salad looks so refreshing and summery!! Pinned it for the strawberry season in a few weeks! 🙂
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Jodi, this looks really good, and that’s amazing, because I don’t like spinach. :O)
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This looks lovely! The Lady was buying strawberries at the greenmarket the other day, and I tried to get one, but I was not tall enough to reach the counter. 😦 Maybe this recipe will persuade Her to buy some more.
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Oh I hope so Albert, and I hope she shares – they are delish!
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