Monday, July 15, 2024

MONDAY MORNING RECIPE - STRAWBERRY, SPINACH SALAD WITH POPPY SEED HONEY-LEMON DRESSING - SERVES 4

It is a great time for salads with all the hot weather we have been having. I am also adding our 10-day forecast, occasionally, not all the time. Just a reminder for us to look back on. Here's ours starting tomorrow (I am writing this on 7-13-24). Happily we have some rain ahead. Good news for our farmers and good news for our gardens.


This recipe comes from Julia's recipes, hosted by Julia, who lives in Colorado, USA. Thank you Julia for this wonderful recipe. Great photos, great recipes if you would like to take a look, and the original recipe is at this link. She also has a lot of suggestions for other recipes to be served with it.


Strawberry Spinach Salad with Poppyseed Honey-Lemon Dressing 

Serves: 4

Calories per serving: approximately 370


Salad dressing:

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

3 tablespoon honey

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tablespoons poppy seeds divided


Spinach Strawberry Salad

6 oz baby spinach

12 ounces strawberries cleaned, hulled, and sliced (about 3 cups)

½ cup feta cheese crumbled

½ cup pecans toasted


Make salad dressing:

Combine olive oil, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, honey, and 1 tablespoon of poppy seeds in a mason jar. Whisk well with a fork for 1 to 2 minutes until well blended. Add more (or less) honey or mustard to taste. (Denise’s note: I would also say go sparingly until you have added enough dressing to your salad for your own taste.)

Putting together:

Combine spinach, sliced strawberries, and toasted pecans (some whole some chopped) in a large serving bowl (or in 4 individual salad bowls).

Add salad dressing and toss to combine.

Top with crumbled feta cheese and sprinkle with extra poppy seeds.


Julia's Notes:

Toast the pecans on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet in a preheated oven at 350°F for 7 to 10 minutes, until they turn slightly darker (be careful not to over-toast them). Toasted pecans are crunchier and have a fresher taste.

Other nuts that complement a strawberry spinach salad are walnuts, toasted pine nuts, or salted shelled pistachios. Candied nuts are also great additions.

For a nut-free version, simply substitute sunflower seeds.

Alternative leafy greens include a spinach/arugula mix or butter lettuce.

Nutritional information can be read at the original recipe.


I am adding the full address if you prefer to copy and paste instead of clicking on any links.

https://juliasalbum.com/strawberry-spinach-salad-poppy-seeds/


Make ahead tips (Denise’s note: it was a lot of prep work and I would do all this for next time):

Toast pecans up to 2 days in advance. 

Toast them in the preheated oven at 350 F for about 7 or 10 minutes (Denise’s note: I have had trouble burning nuts, so I was cautious and took them out at a little past the 4 minute mark). Once they are cool, keep them in a ziploc bag at room temperature or in the fridge.

Make the salad dressing in advance:

You can make it up to 5 days in advance and keep it refrigerated in a mason jar. Bring it to room temperature before serving.

Assemble quartered strawberries, spinach, and crumbled feta cheese up to 5 hours in advance before serving.  

Add the nuts and the poppy seed dressing only when ready to serve. This will prevent spinach from wilting and will keep the nuts crunchy! (Denise’s note: I had added the dressing already for our meal. When we ate the two remaining meals the next day, it resembled a wilted lettuce salad, though we still enjoyed it. However, I wouldn’t make quite as much next time, and only enough for just two people to eat on the day of making.)

Storage Tips:

It's best to serve strawberry spinach salad right away, so it is recommended making just enough so that you have no leftovers. (See my note above.)

If you do have leftovers, the salad can be refrigerated for 2 days. It's best to refrigerate the salad and the dressing separately. 


What did we think? It was delicious and we enjoyed not only the ingredients but the salad dressing. You can play around with it if you think it is too sweet. We thought it was excellent, except I thought maybe to go easier on the poppy seeds as they seemed to be overboard on those. My advice for us next time is to use them sparingly until we have enough for them not to look too much. The following is a photo of what we thought was too much. That being said, it did not detract from the deliciousness.


Thanks for stopping by and as always, 

I hope your day is a great one. 

Bon Appétit!



46 comments:

  1. So pretty! Strawberries are the only fruit with seeds on the OUTSIDE!

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  2. Looks good that recipe Denise.
    Take care.

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  3. I love colorful salads!
    Thank you very much Denise

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  4. It isn't salad season here - but that looks great. I hope I remember it later in the year.

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    1. Glad you like it that much to try and remember for your summer Sue :)

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  5. Lovely combination of flavours. Strawberries lift any salad, raspberries too:-)

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    1. Thank you Jan, raspberries would be an excellent choice. I can see substituting blueberries or blackberries also :)

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  6. would never have thought of this combination but it sure looks delish..

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    1. Thanks Sandra, I was treated to a strawberry-spinach salad for the first time after I got married. I worked for a husband and wife team in Washington DC for a while on a temp assignment. The wife took me out to lunch as a thank you before I left, and she recommended the salad to me. I have enjoyed it off and on over the years when going out but this is the first time making it, and won’t be the last :)

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  7. Sounds and looks delicious. This is a combination I never would have thought of putting together.

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    1. Thank you Ann :) I am so glad you like the look of it.

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  8. I prefer my spinach cooked and strawberries in a bowl plain and juicy, so I think I will pass on this combination.

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    1. Understand David :) my husband can’t stand cooked spinach but will eat it raw in a salad. He won’t mind me saying he was skeptical over the strawberries and dressing. I had alternatives at the ready but am happy to say he really enjoyed this, to the point of saying he would like it again.

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  9. Hello Denise,
    This salad look delicious! I am going to try this! Take care, have a wonderful week!

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    1. Thank you Eileen :) so glad and I wish you the same.

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  10. Interesting recipe. The salad is colorful and very attractive.

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  11. This looks so refreshing and I'm sure delicious! Thank you for the inspiration. It reminds me of a salad I've had before in a restaurant, but I can't remember where. I always enjoy your notes and thoughts about the recipes you post. Stay cool, my friend!

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    1. Thank you Martha Ellen, you are very welcome :) I am happy you enjoy my notes and thoughts. These will help me when I decide to make the salad again and if they help you and other blogging friends, all the better. You stay cool also my friend. The first time I ever had this was in a restaurant.

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  12. What is it about strawberres, spinach and feta that is no-fail. You cannot go wrong. Your dressing sounds delicious!

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    1. I know, it is such a delicious combination :) Happy you like the sound of the dressing also. Thank you Jeanie!

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  13. A colourful and unusual salad. I would never have though of this combination.

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    1. Hello Beverley :) it is an interesting combination. Lately I have been adding blueberries and walnuts to my salads, and at other times pumpkin seeds, all are very tasty.

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  14. Oh, I think I am going to make this salad. This week! One of my favorites:) I'm with you - trying to stay cool, to work around the hottest part of the day, and praying for some rain.

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    1. That’s great, so pleased Jennifer, it is a lovely salad. I hope you get your rain. Stay cool :)

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  15. What a refreshing salad...I love all ingredients
    Sounds and looks like you are having the same temperatures as we are
    Stay cool
    Hugs Cecilia

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    1. Hello Cecilia :) happy you like the look of this. Staying as cool as I can and hope you do too. It is 100 degrees today but know people who are having it a lot hotter. Sending hugs!

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  16. Me gustan las fresas. Gracias por l receta. Te mando un beso.

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    1. Me alegra que te guste la receta y disfrutes de las fresas. ¡Gracias, te mando un beso!

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  17. Looks a tasty summer salad.

    All the best Jan

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    1. Thank you Jan and all the best to you too :)

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