Fresh Strawberry Avocado Spinach Salad Recipe with Easy Poppy Seed Vinaigrette
A fresh and vibrant salad combining baby spinach, ripe strawberries, creamy avocado, and a lightly sweet poppy seed vinaigrette. Perfect for a healthy, quick meal or side dish.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 6 cups baby spinach leaves (loosely packed), washed and dried
- 1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 1 large ripe avocado, peeled and diced
- ¼ small red onion, thinly sliced (optional)
- ¼ cup sliced almonds, toasted
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
Instructions
- Prepare the produce (10 minutes): Rinse baby spinach thoroughly and spin or pat dry. Hull and slice strawberries into thin, even pieces. Peel and dice avocado into bite-sized chunks. Thinly slice red onion if using. Toast sliced almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently until golden and fragrant—watch closely to avoid burning.
- Make the poppy seed vinaigrette (5 minutes): In a small bowl, whisk together extra virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey, and Dijon mustard. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir in poppy seeds. Taste and adjust sweetness or acidity as needed.
- Toss the salad (5 minutes): In a large salad bowl, combine baby spinach, sliced strawberries, diced avocado, and red onion. Drizzle about half the vinaigrette over the salad and gently toss to coat evenly. Add more dressing as desired. Sprinkle toasted almonds on top just before serving.
- Final touches: Taste a bite and season with extra salt or pepper if needed. Serve immediately for best texture, or refrigerate dressing and salad components separately for up to 4 hours before combining.
Notes
To keep avocado from browning, toss diced avocado with a little lemon or lime juice before adding to the salad. Toast almonds carefully over medium heat to avoid burning. Start with less vinaigrette and add more gradually to avoid soggy salad. The vinaigrette can be made up to 3 days ahead and stored in the fridge; whisk again before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (about 1/4
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 10
- Sodium: 150
- Fat: 15
- Saturated Fat: 2
- Carbohydrates: 18
- Fiber: 6
- Protein: 3
Keywords: strawberry salad, avocado salad, spinach salad, poppy seed vinaigrette, healthy salad, quick salad, fresh salad, vegetarian, gluten-free