Ingredients
- Dressing:
- ½ cup white sugar
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup distilled white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
- 1 tablespoon minced onion
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- Salad:
- 1 quart fresh strawberries, cleaned, hulled, and sliced
- 10 ounces fresh spinach, rinsed, thoroughly dried, and torn into bite-sized pieces
- ¼ cup blanched slivered almonds
Instructions
- Gather all your dressing and salad components.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, olive oil, vinegar, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, minced onion, paprika, and Worcestershire sauce until well combined.
- Cover the dressing and place it in the refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour.
- While the dressing chills, combine the sliced strawberries, torn spinach leaves, and slivered almonds in a large salad bowl.
- Just before serving, pour the chilled dressing over the salad mixture.
- Gently toss the salad until all components are lightly coated with the dressing.
- Refrigerate the dressed salad for 10 to 15 minutes before serving for best texture and flavor.
Notes
- Ensure spinach is completely dry after rinsing to prevent a watery salad. Use a salad spinner if possible.
- Do not dress the salad until just before serving (allowing for the final 10-15 minute chill).
- Chilling the dressing for at least 1 hour is important for flavor development.
- The dressing can be made up to a week in advance and stored in the refrigerator.
- Undressed salad components can be prepped a few hours ahead and stored separately in the fridge.
- Dressed salad does not store well; it’s best to only dress the amount you plan to eat immediately.
- Consider variations like other berries, nuts (pecans, walnuts), feta or goat cheese, red onion, avocado, or adding grilled protein.
- The recipe is naturally gluten-free.
- For strict vegan/vegetarian/halal/kosher diets, verify the source of Worcestershire sauce and sugar, as they can sometimes contain animal products or alcohol.
- This salad is naturally dairy-free.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Category: Salad, Side Dish
- Method: Whisking, Tossing, Chilling
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (of 4)
- Calories: 491
- Sugar: 34g
- Sodium: 63mg
- Fat: 35g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Carbohydrates: 43g
- Fiber: 6g
- Protein: 6g
Keywords: Strawberry Spinach Salad, Spinach Salad, Strawberry Salad, Poppy Seed Dressing, Easy Salad, Potluck Salad, Summer Salad, No Cook Salad, Side Dish
