Strawberry Avocado Spinach Salad
on May 04, 2022, Updated Jul 04, 2024
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This fresh and delicious Strawberry Avocado Spinach Salad with creamy poppy seed dressing is the perfect spinach salad to make this spring and summer! It’s a beautiful side dish to go with dinner or serve it with brunch or at your next gathering.
It’s strawberry season and I’m looking for any excuse to use them in a recipe! I add them into my breakfast when I make this strawberry vanilla baked oatmeal and to this strawberry spinach quinoa salad for a tasty lunch or dinner that I pair with a grilled chicken breast.
A new salad I’ve been enjoy lately is this Strawberry Avocado Spinach Salad. I first paired strawberries and avocados together in these grilled salmon tacos with strawberry avocado salsa, so I knew it would be a good combination.
This salad is perfect for spring and summer, and will be a wonderful side dish to take to brunch, picnics, and barbecues.
Ingredients For Strawberry Avocado Spinach Salad
Plain Greek Yogurt – This is the primary ingredients in the poppy seed dressing. It’s creamy, high in protein, and works great for salad dressings.
Mayonnaise – It gives the poppy seed dressing a flavor that only mayonnaise can. It you refuse to use mayo, simply replace it with additional Greek yogurt.
Milk – You can use water or milk in the dressing. The purpose is to thin it out a little. Milk will give it a richer flavor, however water works just as well.
Apple Cider Vinegar – The vinegar adds acidity to the dressing. Fresh lemon juice can be used as an alternative.
Maple Syrup – The sweetener for the dressing. Feel free to swap it with an equal amount of honey or granulated sugar if you prefer.
Poppy Seeds – Tiny black seeds that come from the opium poppy. They have a slight nutty flavor to them and are a key ingredient in dressing.
Onion Powder – Adds onion flavor to the dressing without the chunkiness or raw flavor of using an onion.
Baby Spinach – Spinach leaves are a great green to use for this salad because they hold up well and don’t will easily when in contact with the juicy strawberries and creamy dressing.
Strawberries – Sweet and delicious when paired with avocado and poppy seed dressing.
Avocado – Adds a creamy, fatty, luxuriousness to the salad.
Goat Cheese – I love the tang and creaminess of the goat cheese paired with the sweet strawberries.
Sliced Almonds – They add a wonderful nutty crunch to the spinach salad. Toast them for the best flavor.
How To Make Strawberry Avocado Spinach Salad
Start by making the poppyseed dressing. In a bowl, combine the yogurt, mayo, maple syrup, milk or water, apple cider vinegar, poppy seeds, onion powder, plus salt and pepper. Whisk it all together until it’s creamy and completely combined.
Hull the strawberries and either halve, quarter, or slice them depending on the look you’re going for.
Peel the avocado and remove the pit. Slice or dice the avocado. To prevent it from browning as quickly I like to toss mine in fresh lemon juice.
Arrange the baby spinach onto a serving platter or add it to a large salad bowl. Top the spinach with the strawberries, avocado, crumbled goat cheese, and toasted sliced almonds.
You can either drizzle the poppyseed dressing on top of the salad or serve it on the side. For the best texture and presentation I would advise you to dress the salad just before serving.
How To Store Poppy Seed Dressing
Poppy seed dressing will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week. Store it in an airtight container. You will likely need to whisk or stir it together before each use.
I like to store my salad dressings in mason jars so that I can easily shake it up again before using it.
Substitutions and Variations
- Strawberries can be substituted with blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, or any combination of them.
- Substitute spinach with mixed greens or kale.
- Add chicken or steak to the salad to make it a main dish salad.
- If you don’t like poppy seed dressing try balsamic vinaigrette. I recommend the version I used in this berry, chickpea, feta salad with honey balsamic vinaigrette.
- If you don’t like goat cheese substitute with feta or mini fresh mozzarella balls.
What To Serve With It
- Everything Bagel Chicken Tenders
- Creamy Mushroom Chicken
- Baked Salmon with Lemon Dill Yogurt Sauce
- Walnut Crusted Salmon
- Lemon Asparagus Risotto
More Spring and Summer Salad
- Berries and Feta Salad
- Blueberry Peach Feta Salad
- Tomato Avocado Corn Salad
- Grilled Chicken Salad with Strawberries and Goat Cheese
- Summer Chickpea Salad
Did you make this Strawberry Avocado Spinach Salad? I’d love if you’d leave a recipe rating and review below.
Strawberry Avocado Spinach Salad
Ingredients
Poppy Seed Dressing
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise optional
- 3 tablespoons water or milk
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
- 2 teaspoons poppy seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Salad
- 5 ounces baby spinach
- 1 cup sliced strawberries
- 1 avocado peeled and sliced
- 2 ounces crumbled goat cheese
- 1/3 cup toasted sliced almonds
Instructions
- In a bowl or jar, whisk together all of the ingredients for the poppy seed dressing. Taste for seasoning then cover with a lid and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Arrange the spinach onto a serving platter or add it to a serving bowl. Top the spinach with the sliced strawberries and avocado, crumbled goat cheese, and sliced almonds.
- Just before serving drizzle the salad with the poppy seed dressing. You can also serve the dressing on the side.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
