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Strawberry Spinach Salad Recipe

Strawberry Spinach Salad Recipe

Make Strawberry Spinach Salad Recipe for a bright, crunchy salad—toss strawberries, spinach, almonds, and feta with a honey-poppy dressing.

Ingredients

Instructions

Step 1: Toast the almonds and cool them to crisp

Spread the 1/2 cup (50 g) sliced almonds in a single layer on a small parchment-lined baking sheet and roast until just light golden and fragrant, watching them closely in the last minutes so they don’t scorch. Once toasted, let the almonds rest on the baking sheet to cool fully — they will become noticeably crisper and develop a warm, nutty sheen as they cool. This is the first visual milestone: warm golden almond slices, slightly curled at the edges, cooling on pale parchment.


Step 2: Emulsify the bright, glossy dressing

Combine the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, poppy seeds, salt, and pepper in a small clear glass jar or a shallow mixing bowl and whisk (or shake the jar) until the mixture is fully emulsified: smooth, slightly thickened, and glossy. The dressing should cling slightly to the sides of the jar and show a fine suspension of poppy seeds; taste and adjust for salt, pepper, or a touch more honey to balance acidity and sweetness. Keep the jar nearby as a persistent element — you’ll see the same jar in later frames.


Step 3: Prepare and dry the spinach and slice the produce

Place the 5 oz (140 g) of baby spinach in a clean, roomy matte soft-grey ceramic salad bowl and ensure the leaves are very dry so the dressing will adhere. Hull and slice the strawberries into neat 1/4-inch (6 mm) rounds, very thinly slice the red onion, and, if using, slice the cucumber into whisper-thin rounds; arrange the prepared fruit and vegetables beside and partially over the spinach so you can see the contrast between the glossy red strawberry flesh, the vivid spinach leaves, and the translucent purple of the onion. This frame emphasizes crispness, surface moisture (or absence of it), and clean, uniform slices.


Step 4: Toss the salad lightly so everything is glossy but not soggy

Drizzle about two-thirds of the dressing over the spinach-strawberry-onion mixture and use a pair of clean matte tongs to gently toss for 30–60 seconds until the leaves and fruit have a light, even glossy coating — the spinach should glisten without collapsing, and strawberry slices should sit on and between leaves rather than sink. The tossed result shows interleaved textures: satin-finished spinach, glossy bright strawberries, and delicate onion ribbons, with the same clear glass jar of dressing and the used tongs resting to the side as persistent props.


Step 5: Finish with toasted almonds, crumbled feta, optional avocado, final drizzle and serve

Scatter the cooled toasted almonds and 1/2 cup (60 g) crumbled chilled feta over the top, and if using, tuck delicate slices of ripe avocado into the salad just before serving so they retain shape and creamy texture. Drizzle the remaining dressing sparingly where the salad looks less coated, finish with a small fresh grind of black pepper and a whisper of fine sea salt, then serve immediately at cool room temperature for the best contrast of crisp greens, juicy strawberries, crunchy nuts, and creamy feta — the finished plate should look bright, layered, and texturally varied.


Notes