My Favorite Strawberry Spinach Salad
TIP for toasting peans: Lay on a papertowel and toast in the microwave for 2 minutes, shuffling them around half-way through. Allow to cool before chopping.TIP for the dressing: It thickens up as it sits in the fridge. Add a tiny bit of water or olive oil and whisk to thin it out before using.
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 1 ½ cup pecans
- 16 ounces baby spinach
- 16 ounces strawberries quartered or sliced
- ½ red onion, finely sliced
- 4 oz goat cheese, crumbled
- 1 avocado, diced (optional)
For the dressing (there will be leftovers)
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 Tbsp sesame seeds
- 3 Tbsp poppy seeds
- ½ red onion, diced
- ½ tsp paprika
- 1 cup olive oil
- ½ cup red wine vinegar
Instructions
To make the poppy seed dressing:
- Place the dressing ingredients in a blender and blend slowly, while adding the olive oil. Allow the flavors to blend at room temperature while preparing the salad. The dressing will be on the thicker side.
- Toast the pecans; cool and set aside. Chop before using.
To assemble the salad:
- In a large bowl, add spinach, sliced strawberries, and chopped pecans. Top with red onion sliced and crumbled goat cheese; optional to add avocado.
- Add salad dressing and toss until evenly coated right before serving!