Strawberry Spinach Salad Bowl (Printable Version)

Tender spinach and sweet strawberries combine with crunchy pecans in a creamy poppy seed dressing.

# What You'll Need:

→ Salad

01 - 6 cups baby spinach, washed and dried
02 - 1.5 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
03 - 0.5 cup candied pecans
04 - 0.25 small red onion, thinly sliced (optional)
05 - 0.5 cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)

→ Candied Pecans

06 - 0.5 cup pecan halves
07 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
08 - 1 tablespoon butter

→ Poppy Seed Dressing

09 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
10 - 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
11 - 1 tablespoon honey
12 - 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
13 - 0.5 teaspoon Dijon mustard
14 - 0.25 teaspoon salt
15 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

# Directions:

01 - In a small skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add pecans and sugar, stirring constantly until pecans are coated and sugar is melted, about 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer pecans onto parchment paper to cool and break apart once cooled.
02 - In a small bowl or jar, whisk together olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey, poppy seeds, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper until emulsified. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, combine spinach, strawberries, red onion, and feta cheese if using. Add candied pecans. Drizzle dressing over the salad just before serving and toss gently to coat.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The contrast between crispy, sweet pecans and tender raw spinach happens in the bowl, not in your head—it's genuinely exciting to eat.
  • Strawberries and feta are a pairing that makes people pause and ask what's in their salad, then want the recipe.
  • Everything comes together in less than 20 minutes, including the time to candy the pecans, so you can actually make this on a weeknight.
02 -
  • Dressing the salad too far in advance is how you end up with limp, watery spinach; do this step just before eating or right before serving.
  • The candied pecans are the thing people remember, so don't skip that step even if you're tempted to use store-bought candied nuts; homemade takes 5 minutes and tastes exponentially better.
03 -
  • Wash and dry your spinach well, or use the pre-washed bags and give them a gentle spin in a salad spinner; water on the leaves dilutes the dressing.
  • Make the candied pecans an hour or two ahead if you want; they stay crispy and crunchy in an airtight container, so you can assemble the salad in minutes.
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