Spinach Strawberry Pecan Salad (Printable Version)

Tender spinach, sweet strawberries, and crunchy pecans tossed in tangy balsamic vinaigrette for a perfect summer dish.

# What You Need:

01 - 6 cups fresh baby spinach leaves, washed and dried

02 - 2 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced

03 - 1/2 cup pecan halves, toasted

04 - 1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced

05 - 1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese or feta (optional)

06 - 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

07 - 1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

08 - 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup

09 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

10 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

01 - In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper until fully emulsified and smooth.

02 - In a large salad bowl, layer the baby spinach, sliced strawberries, thinly sliced red onion, and toasted pecans.

03 - Drizzle the balsamic vinaigrette over the salad and toss gently until all ingredients are evenly coated.

04 - Scatter crumbled goat cheese or feta over the top if desired. Serve immediately while the greens are fresh and crisp.

01 -

The sweet and tangy combo hits every part of your palate and makes people think you planned it for hours.
It comes together in under fifteen minutes with zero cooking, which means more time outside and less time at the stove.

02 -

If you dress the salad more than ten minutes before serving the spinach will collapse into a soggy mess and there is no coming back from that.
Toasting the pecans in a dry skillet for two to three minutes transforms them from bland to deeply aromatic but walk away for even a moment and they burn.

03 -

A mandoline slicer makes the red onion paper thin which distributes flavor evenly and prevents any single bite from being overwhelming.
Warming the honey for ten seconds in the microwave before whisking it into the dressing helps everything emulsify faster and more smoothly.