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A fresh and vibrant salad featuring baby spinach, sweet strawberries, creamy avocado, toasted almonds, crumbled cheese, and a lightly sweetened honey poppyseed dressing. Perfect for spring and customizable with optional proteins.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 6 cups fresh baby spinach
  • 1 pint strawberries, hulled and sliced
  • 1 avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
  • 4 ounces crumbled blue cheese (or goat cheese or feta)
  • 1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted
  • half a small red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1/3 cup avocado oil (or olive oil)
  • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • fine sea salt, to taste
  • freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Make the dressing: Whisk together avocado oil, red wine vinegar, honey, poppy seeds, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper in a small bowl until fully combined. Alternatively, shake in a jar with a tight lid. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired.
  2. Toast the almonds: Warm a dry skillet over medium heat and stir sliced almonds frequently until golden brown and fragrant (about 3 to 5 minutes). Spread out on a plate to cool.
  3. Prepare produce: Rinse and dry baby spinach thoroughly. Hull and slice strawberries. Peel, pit, and dice avocado. Slice red onion paper-thin; optionally rinse under cold water for milder flavor and drain well.
  4. Assemble salad: In a large bowl, combine baby spinach, sliced strawberries, diced avocado, cooled toasted almonds, and thinly sliced red onion. Crumble cheese (blue, goat, or feta) over the top.
  5. Dress and toss: Drizzle dressing evenly over salad. Gently toss to combine, taking care not to bruise berries or mash avocado.
  6. Serve immediately for best texture and flavor. Optionally add cooked and cooled grilled chicken, shrimp, or crumbled bacon to make it a heartier meal.

Notes

Use ripe, juicy strawberries for best flavor., Dry greens thoroughly to prevent sogginess., Toast almonds just until golden for optimal crunch and flavor., Rinse red onion slices briefly for milder flavor if desired., Add avocado just before serving to maintain freshness; toss with lemon or lime juice if prepping ahead to slow browning., Dressing can be blended with Greek yogurt or mayo for a creamier texture., Adjust dressing sweetness or tanginess with additional honey or vinegar as desired., To make vegan, omit cheese or use a plant-based alternative, and substitute honey with maple syrup or agave., Keep dressing separate from salad until serving to prevent sogginess., Store dressing in the fridge up to one week; shake or whisk before use.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://gingerbaking.com/strawberry-avocado-spinach-salad-with-poppyseed-dressing/