Strawberry Spinach Salad with Vinaigrette Dressing

This Strawberry Spinach Salad is the perfect salad for lunch, dinner, or as a side. It’s beautiful, colorful, and most of all– delicious! It comes together in minutes and is always a favorite. 

If you are looking for a healthy lunch or a side for dinner, this salad is sure to please everyone. Ripe strawberries, cranberries, onions, and toasted pecans nestled into a big bed of spinach and tossed with homemade vinegar and oil dressing. 

strawberry spinach salad with text overlay

Recipe origin

I love all kinds of salads, and this one is no exception. Pasta salad, Caprese Salad, Potato Salad, and Bean Salad are all great and at the top of my list. But Strawberry Spinach Salad is refreshing, light, and always a crowd pleaser.

Why You Should Make This Recipe

It’s easy.

It’s fresh and light.

You can prep everything ahead of time and then toss it together before serving.

It’s amazingly delicious.

Strawberry Spinach Salad Ingredients 

I love the combination of ingredients and flavors in this salad. 

Baby Spinach

strawberries

dried cranberries

red onion

toasted pecans

The dressing for this Strawberry Salad is effortless and only requires a handful of ingredients. Add everything to a Mason Jar and shake.

Dressing:

vegetable oil

Apple Cider Vinegar

sugar

Dijon Mustard

salt

Strawberry Spinach Salad with text overlay

Can This Salad Be Made in Advance?

Of course, it can! Just prep all of the ingredients and store them in separate containers. Before you are ready to serve it, toss the ingredients together. Allow your family or guest to add their dressing to their salads. 

Can I Use Other Fruit?

You bet! Try some blueberries, raspberries, or even blackberries in this salad. They will be amazing. 

Strawberry Spinach Salad with Pecans — How To Toast Pecans

Adding toasted pecans to the strawberry salad adds so much flavor and crunch. Toasting pecans is very easy, and worth the few minutes it takes to get that added flavor you want. Check out this link on How to Toast Pecans for easy step-by-step instructions.

How to Make this Recipe

  1. Make the salad dressing. Add all ingredients for the salad dressing to a Mason jar. Add a tight-fitting lid and shake well. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
  2. Prep all the ingredients. Slice the strawberries and onion. Toast the pecans.
  3. Toss all of the ingredients. Add the dressing (*see tip). Serve. *Tip-*I usually have family and guests add their dressing to their own salad. By doing this, the salad will not get soggy in the refrigerator if there are any leftovers. 

Tips and Variations

  • Use different berries.
  • Throw in some Feta Cheese if desired.
  • Add some diced apples.
  • You don’t want to make dressing? Buy Balsamic Dressing. It’s terrific.

Recipe FAQs

A vinaigrette made with vinegar and oil is lovely on this salad. It adds the perfect tang and goes great with spinach and strawberries.

Yes. Feel free to add walnuts or cashews to this salad instead of pecans. Or, if you desire, leave them out altogether. Sunflower seeds also add crunch and are quite tasty.

Yes. If you would like to turn this salad into a meal, add some cooked and chopped chicken to the salad. Chicken and strawberries go great together.

What Should I Serve with Strawberry Salad?

Grilled BBQ Chicken

Oven Baked Barbecue Ribs

Grilled Hamburger

Blackened Salmon

Other Side Dishes I Should Try:

Southern Cornbread Salad

Fried Green Tomatoes

Honey Butter Skillet Corn

Picture of Strawberry Spinach Salad with text overlay
Strawberry Spinach Salad

Strawberry Spinach Salad

Gina Abernathy
This Strawberry Spinach Salad is the perfect salad for lunch, dinner, or as a side. It's beautiful, colorful, and most of all– delicious! It comes together in minutes and is always a favorite. 
5 from 23 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Course Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings
Calories 384 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 8 ounces Baby Spinach
  • 2 cups Strawberries sliced
  • 1 cup Dried Cranberries
  • ½ Red Onion thinly sliced
  • 1 cup Toasted Pecans rough chopped

Dressing:

  • ¾ cup Vegetable Oil
  • ¼ cup Apple Cider Vinegar
  • ½ cup Sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
  • 1 teaspoon Salt

Instructions
 

  • Make the salad dressing. Add all ingredients for the salad dressing to a Mason jar. Add a tight-fitting lid and shake well. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Shake again before serving.
  • Prep all the ingredients. Slice the strawberries and onion. Toast the pecans.
  • Toss all of the salad ingredients. Add the dressing (*see tip below). Serve.

Notes

*I usually have family and guests add the dressing to their own salad. By doing this, the salad will not get soggy in the refrigerator if there are any leftovers. 
The link below will show you how to quickly toast pecans for this salad.
How to Toast Pecans 

Nutrition

Calories: 384kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 2gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 15gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0.1gSodium: 322mgPotassium: 288mgFiber: 3gSugar: 26gVitamin A: 2670IUVitamin C: 30mgCalcium: 47mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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23 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This was so delicious! Amazing how well the flavors of strawberry and spinach go together. The apple cider dressing was perfect to brighten up and balance everything else!

  2. 5 stars
    My family loved this salad and they want it at Christmas now too. Loved the crunch of the pecans and the sweetness of the fruit too.

5 from 23 votes

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