15-Minute Strawberry Spinach Salad
Servings: 6 · $4/serving · Active: 15 min · Total: 15 min · Difficulty: easy
saladspinachstrawberryblueberryfetapecansvegetariangluten-freequickeasyside-dishsummer
15-Minute Strawberry Spinach Salad
Notes
- Strawberry Spinach Salad is a healthy, vibrant, and easy-to-make recipe that comes together in 15 minutes! Featuring Feta cheese, pecans, and a simple Balsamic dressing, this salad will make a perfect side dish for any weeknight dinner. It is also a crowd-pleaser for many holiday occasions, picnics, potlucks, and other friends and family gatherings!
- Quick salad with spinach, strawberries, blueberries, feta, toasted pecans, and balsamic glaze.
- No cilantro, goat cheese, sardines, or mackerel detected.
- Contains feta cheese (allowed by current preferences; goat cheese is excluded).
Ingredients
| Quantity | Unit | Item | Section | Pantry? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | cup | balsamic vinegar | Canned vegetables/pickles/olives/beans/condiments/dressings/salad toppings/rice/bread crumbs | yes |
| 1/4 | cup | honey (or brown sugar) | Peanut butter/jelly/honey | yes |
| 10 | oz | baby spinach (fresh) | Produce | no |
| 3 | cups | strawberries (cleaned and hulled, sliced) | Produce | no |
| 1 | cup | blueberries | Produce | no |
| 1/3 | cup | feta cheese (crumbled) | Cheese Products | no |
| 1 | cup | pecans (toasted, some of them chopped) | Baking/flour/cake mixes/sweeteners/spices/oils/canned fruit/baking nuts | no |
Instructions
Salad Dressing - Balsamic Glaze
- In a small saucepan, heat balsamic vinegar and honey over medium heat.
- Bring to a gentle boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook, stirring, until the mixture thickens and reduces by about half (about 10 or so minutes).
- Remove from heat and pour the balsamic glaze into a heat-proof bowl to cool off. The glaze will get thicker as it cools off.
- Consistency should be thick enough to coat the back of the spoon but should not be overly thick.
Salad
- In a large bowl, combine all of the salad ingredients, except the pecans. Toss to combine.
- Divide the salad into individual serving bowls.
- Top each serving bowl with whole and chopped toasted pecans.
- Drizzle the top of the salad in each bowl with balsamic glaze.
Meal-prep notes
- Leftover quality: Best eaten fresh; store dressing/glaze, pecans, and salad components separately.
- Prep ahead: Make balsamic glaze and toast pecans ahead; wash/slice berries shortly before serving for best texture.
- Good pairings: Grilled chicken, salmon, pasta, soup, or picnic-style mains.
- Scaling: Original yield is 6 side servings.