Strawberry Spinach Salad
User Reviews
5
Strawberry Spinach Salad
Description
Strawberry Spinach Salad brings together fresh, tender spinach with sweet, juicy strawberries and crunchy walnuts for texture contrast. The dressing is distinctive because it starts by toasting a mix of seeds—such as sesame, flax, sunflower, and pumpkin—which adds a warm, nutty aroma and flavor when combined with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, and finely diced red onion. Paprika adds subtle depth when used. This combination provides a balance of sweet, tangy, and savory notes that complement the freshness of the salad ingredients.
The salad is assembled by gently tossing the spinach, strawberries, and walnuts before drizzling with the chilled dressing to keep the leaves crisp. This makes for an appealing dish with varied textures and flavors, suitable as a refreshing starter or a light accompaniment to a main course.
Variations include substituting the walnuts with other nuts like pecans or almonds, swapping half of the spinach for other leafy greens, or using different berries when strawberries are out of season. The dressing can be kept separate and added just before serving to preserve freshness.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon seeds I used a mix of sesame, flax, sunflower and pumpkin
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- ⅛ teaspoon paprika optional
- ¼ red onion very finely diced
- salt
- black pepper
- 2 cups spinach 250g, fresh, rinsed and dried
- 1 cup strawberries 250g, halved, quartered or sliced depending on their size
- ¼ cup walnuts roughly chopped, 30g
Instructions
For the spinach salad dressing
- Heat a dry frying pan and add the seeds. Toast them by tossing gently in the hot pan until they begin to turn golden and fragrant.
- Add the toasted sesame seeds to a bowl with the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, paprika and onion. Season with salt and pepper. Chill until ready to serve.
For the spinach salad
- In a large serving bowl, add the spinach (if the leaves are very large, chop them slightly) and gently toss with the strawberries and walnuts. Drizzle with the dressing and serve.
Notes
- Toast the mix of seeds before adding to the dressing to enhance their flavor.
- Keep the dressing chilled and add it just before serving to maintain the salad's crispness.
- Feel free to substitute walnuts with pecans, pistachios, or almonds based on preference.
- Try swapping strawberries with other berries like raspberries or blueberries when out of season.
- Consider mixing spinach with other leafy greens for added variety.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 6Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 118 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 118kcal | 6% |
| Carbohydrates | 6g | 2% |
| Protein | 2g | 4% |
| Fat | 9g | 14% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Sodium | 10mg | 0% |
| Potassium | 134mg | 3% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 4g | 8% |
| Vitamin A | 960IU | 19% |
| Vitamin C | 17.2mg | 19% |
| Calcium | 22mg | 2% |
| Iron | 0.6mg | 3% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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