Strawberry Spinach Salad

Updated 30th April 2026

This colorful, naturally sweet and delicious salad is simple to put together and made with one of my favorite balsamic vinaigrettes. Sweet strawberries, salty feta and crunchy walnuts make up this simple spinach salad. The balsamic vinaigrette is easy to make and definitely a keeper and one that you will make over and over again for other salads too. It’s the perfect salad to bring to a party, BBQ, potluck or even include in your savory brunch line up. It’s easy, crowd-pleasing, and very adaptable.

Strawberry Spinach Salad Recipe Ingredients

For the Salad

• Spinach: I always go for fresh baby spinach as it is tender and usually ready to serve without having to chop it. But really and truly any spinach would work just make sure it’s in bite sized pieces. If you want to switch things up and use a mix of greens with the spinach that is totally fine. Spring mix or baby kale and arugula would be wonderful in this salad too.
• STRAWBERRIES: Strawberries and spinach seem to be the most classic salad combo but they aren’t the only one. This salad goes with any sweet berries (blueberries, raspberries and blackberries) I would go as far as saying any fruit - we also like this combo with mandarin oranges and even pears and apples. We use FRESH strawberries for salads always for best flavor and texture.
• WALNUTS: We love the crunch they add to the salad. We toast them in a bit of butter for extra flavor. Other nuts you could use: toasted or caramelized pecans, sliced or slivered almonds and pistachios. For a nut free version you could add pumpkin seeds or sunflowers seeds.
• BUTTER: Just a little to toast the walnuts. You can definitely toast the walnuts in a dry pan but the butter just adds so much flavor.
• RED ONION: We love the sweet red onions in this salad combo. A tip for using raw like this in a salad is to soak the red onion slices in water for a few minutes first, drain and pat dry. This preserves the onions’ flavor but removes the harsh/sharp aftertaste. If you would rather a more mellow flavour you can use sliced shallots in place of the red onion.
• FETA CHEESE: You know we are super partial to feta cheese but truly it is the perfect salty briny compliment to this salad. Feel free to swap it out for goat cheese, blue cheese, or Parmesan cheese.
  
  

For the Dressing

• OLIVE OIL: Extra virgin olive oil is what I use for the dressing
• BALSAMIC VINEGAR: Adds a nice tart but sweet flavor to the dressing. If you prefer to use apple cider or red wine vinegar you can.
• DIJON MUSTARD: I like the flavour it adds to the dressing - I prefer dijon mustard but yellow mustard or honey mustard work well too.
• MAPLE SYRUP: This adds just a touch of sweetness to the dressing to take the edge of the vinegar. Feel free to sub with honey.
• SHALLOT & GARLIC: I like to add both to the dressing because they add so much flavor to it but you can do one or the other. Use fresh garlic or granulated garlic.
• OPTIONAL ADD INS: I often like to amp up the strawberry flavor and add a teaspoon of strawberry jam or preserves to the dressing. If you think that that might be be too sweet omit the maple syrup when adding. You could also add in 1-2 teaspoons of poppy seeds to the dressing for a poppy seed dressing
  
  

How to Make This Delicious Strawberry & Spinach Salad

• Make Salad Dressing: Whisk all the dressing ingredients together in a bowl or shake in a jar. We want to make the dressing first so it has time to chill and the flavors to marry if possible.
• Assemble Salad: Toss Salad ingredients together in a large bowl. Drizzle and toss salad with dressing if you are eating it right away or serve salad with dressing on the side.
  
  

Salad Storage Tips & Make Ahead

• STORAGE: Undressed salad can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for a couple of days. Dressed salad is best eaten fresh otherwise the leftovers will get soggy.
• MAKE AHEAD: You can make the the dressing and store in the fridge for up to 3-5 days and prep the ingredients and store them in separate containers in the fridge for up to 1 day ahead, When ready to serve, assemble the salad, and toss with the dressing.
  
  

More Salads You Will Love:

• Apple Walnut Salad
• Waldorf Salad
• Blueberry Salad
• Pear Salad
• Beet Salad
• Mandarin Orange Salad
• Apple and Kale Salad
• Apple Fennel Crunch Salad
  
  

Recipe

Ingredients

For the Salad

• 11 oz of baby spinach
• 1 lb of strawberries hulled and sliced
• 1 cup of walnuts
• 2 tbsp of butter (optional but recommended)
• ½ small red onion sliced thin (optional)
• ¼ cup of crumbled feta

For the Balsamic Vinaigrette

• ½ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• ½ shallot peeled minced (optional)
• 1 small clove of garlic minced or grated
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• Salt and pepper to taste
  
  

Directions

1. In a small pan/skillet heat butter over low heat, add walnuts and sauté until lightly toasted and fragrant, approximately 5-10 minutes. Keep a close eye on them so they don’t scorch. Remove from heat and drain on paper towel and allow to cool while you make vinaigrette.
2. In a small bowl with a whisk, or in a mason jar with a tight-fitting lid, add the oil, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, dijon mustard, shallots, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir or shake well to combine. Vinaigrette can be made ahead and kept in the fridge for up to 1 week.
3. In a large bowl, add spinach, strawberries, walnuts, onions and feta. Drizzle vinaigrette over salad and toss until evenly coated.
   
   

Recipe Note

• If you would like to make a meal out of this salad feel free to add your favorite protein: grilled chicken, rotisserie chicken, grilled or sautéed shrimp or even steak. You could also toss in some cooked grains like farro, wild rice or quinoa. Feel free to add in some chickpeas or white beans and even some sliced or diced avocado.