Strawberry Spinach Poppy Seed Dressing (Printable)
Sweet strawberries meet fresh spinach and crunchy nuts in a zesty poppy seed dressing.
# What's Needed:
→ Salad Components
01 - 5 oz fresh baby spinach, washed and dried
02 - 8 oz fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
03 - ½ cup feta cheese, crumbled
04 - ½ cup red onion, thinly sliced
05 - ⅓ cup toasted pecans or walnuts, roughly chopped
06 - 2 tbsp sunflower seeds
→ Poppy Seed Dressing
07 - ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
08 - 1½ tbsp apple cider vinegar
09 - 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup
10 - 1 tsp Dijon mustard
11 - 1 tsp poppy seeds
12 - ¼ tsp fine sea salt
13 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
# How to Make It:
01 - In a small bowl or jar, whisk together olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, poppy seeds, salt, and pepper until thoroughly emulsified. Set aside at room temperature.
02 - In a large salad bowl, layer spinach, sliced strawberries, red onion, feta cheese, and toasted nuts.
03 - Drizzle the poppy seed dressing evenly over the salad just before serving. Toss gently to coat all ingredients without bruising the spinach.
04 - Sprinkle sunflower seeds on top as a garnish. Serve immediately to maintain crispness and fresh texture.
# Tips for Success:
01 -
- The homemade poppy seed dressing comes together in seconds but tastes like something from a fancy restaurant
- Perfect balance of sweet and savory that makes even salad skeptics go back for seconds
02 -
- The dressing tastes infinitely better when made fresh versus store bought versions
- Spinach wilts quickly once dressed so always add dressing at the very last moment
03 -
- Dry your spinach thoroughly with paper towels or a salad spinner so the dressing actually sticks to the leaves
- Let your dressing come to room temperature before dressing the salad for better absorption