Spinach Salad with Strawberries and Feta Cheese is a perfect summer dish, combining fresh greens and sweet strawberries. The salad is topped with a light pink vinaigrette made with extra virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar, a strawberry, and honey for sweetness.
The base is a mix of crispy romaine and tender baby spinach, giving a refreshing crunch. Add fresh strawberries, creamy feta cheese, and toasted almonds for extra flavor and texture. A drizzle of the sweet and tangy pink vinaigrette ties it all together, making each bite taste like summer.
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When is Strawberry Season in Florida?
In Florida, strawberries are abundant and inexpensive from November through the end of March.
From April to July, strawberries in South Florida are sourced from cooler states, as our hot summers are too extreme for growing.
Every March, Wish Farms in Plant City, Florida, hosts a huge Strawberry Festival, which is about 5 hours north of Key Largo. It looks like so much fun—I’m planning to get there next year!
What You Need For The Salad
- Baby Spinach
- Romaine Lettuce
- Organic Feta Cheese
- Red Onion
- Strawberries
- Sliced Almonds
For The Vinaigrette
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Dijon Mustard
- Garlic
- Honey
- Shallots
- Salt
- Strawberry
Mix Romaine with Spinach For Crunch!
I had originally made this salad with only spinach but it needed a little more crunch. The next salad I made with half spinach and half romaine.
To prepare the romaine, lay it on a cutting board and slice it horizontally into ½-inch or 1-inch strips. Rinse both the lettuce and spinach under cold water to keep them crisp, then use a salad spinner to dry them. If you don’t have a spinner, you can use a clean towel—just be gentle with the spinach to avoid crushing it.
Rinse the greens under cold running water. Place the lettuce and spinach in a salad spinner to get the moisture out. You can also use a clean towel, but be careful not to press too hard.
How to Make Strawberry Vinaigrette
This pink strawberry vinaigrette skips traditional balsamic vinegar in favor of apple cider vinegar and adds a touch of honey for sweetness that you can adjust to taste.
For color and flavor, I used half a chopped shallot, a bit of garlic, and one strawberry, blending everything with an immersion blender until smooth. You can make it a day before serving to let the flavors develop fully.
For The Toppings
Grab a block of organic Greek feta cheese—it tastes way better than the pre-crumbled kind in tubs. To get it ready for the salad, open the package and use a fork to scrape the cold block into small pieces.
TIP: Get regular feta cheese; fat-free feta doesn’t taste nearly as good!
Toasted almonds add crunch. Just place a small dry skillet over medium heat, add the almonds, and toast them until golden brown. Shake the pan every minute to keep them from burning and to ensure they brown evenly.
TOP TIPS
Fresh vegetables and great cheese are the keys to this super easy salad! If you like a lot of dressing on your salads, feel free to double the amount in the recipe. This salad can also be topped with Pan Seared Chicken Breasts for a heartier meal.
Try Some Of Our Other Favorite Summer Recipes
"📖 Recipe"
Spinach Salad with Strawberries and Feta
Ingredients
For The Pink Vinaigrette
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 shallot finely chopped
- 1 large strawberry (or 2 smaller ones) stemmed and mashed with the back of a fork
For The Salad
- 3 cups baby spinach
- 3 cups sliced Romaine lettuce
- ½ cup feta cheese (or goat cheese)
- ¼ cup sliced almonds
- ½ red onion sliced
- 2 cups fresh strawberries, trimmed and halved (1 pint)
Instructions
- Measure dressing ingredients. Blend for a few seconds using a hand-held immersion blender or a small food processor. Pour into a small screw-top jar.
- Place almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat. Heat the almonds until they are light brown and fragrant, shaking the pan occasionally, for about 4 minutes.
- Remove the outer leaves of the romaine lettuce and discard the core. Slice the lettuce crosswise into 1-inch strips.
- Rinse the romaine and spinach under cold running water. Spin the leaves in a salad spinner or gently pat dry with paper towels. Place in a mixing bowl.
- Divide the salad mixture onto four large salad plates. Scatter feta cheese, red onion, strawberries, and toasted almonds on each salad.
- Pass the dressing.
Notes
- Prepare the dressing at least 15 minutes in advance if you have the time.
- You can make the dressing with frozen strawberries but use fresh berries on the salad.
- Store the dressing in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
