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Strawberry Avocado Spinach Salad with Poppyseed Dressing

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This fresh strawberry spinach salad recipe is tossed with creamy avocado, toasted almonds, your choice of cheese and a honey-sweetened poppyseed dressing.

Strawberry Spinach Salad with Poppyseed Dressing

Forever and always one of my favorite salads to make this time of year. ♡

I first shared this strawberry spinach salad recipe here on Gimme Some Oven nearly a decade ago, but it’s one of those classics that I’m certain I will be making for decades and decades to come. Made with loads of fresh strawberries, tender baby spinach, creamy avocado, toasted almonds, paper-thin red onions, crumbled blue cheese (or goat or feta), and my favorite lightly-sweetened honey poppyseed dressing, this salad is always the first recipe I want to make each spring when juicy ripe red strawberries come back in season. And it always tastes like such a treat.

Feel free, of course, to sub in your preferred kind of greens, nuts (or seeds), and cheese. And if you want to add in some protein, grilled chicken, shrimp or bacon are always delicious options.

So grab a pint of the ripe strawberries while they’re in season, and let’s make this gorgeous salad together!

Strawberry Avocado Spinach Salad Recipe | 1-Minute Video

Strawberry Spinach Salad Ingredients

Strawberry Salad and Poppyseed Dressing Ingredients

Before we get to the full recipe below, here are a few notes about the ingredients you will need to make this strawberry salad recipe and poppyseed dressing…

  • Greens: I typically use baby spinach or a spring green mix for this strawberry salad, but feel free to use whatever salad greens you love best.
  • Strawberries: Look for fresh strawberries that are as ripe as possible.
  • Avocado: Sliced or diced avocado add a delicious extra bit of creaminess to this salad.
  • Crumbled cheese: We’re partial to using crumbled blue cheese or goat cheese in this salad, but feta or burrata would be delicious options too.
  • Sliced almonds: Definitely recommend lightly toasting the almonds before adding them to the salad, to bring out their best flavor.
  • Red onion: I recommend slicing the onion paper-thin. If you prefer a milder onion flavor, just rinse the sliced onion briefly in cold water before adding it to the salad.
  • Poppyseed dressing: My favorite poppyseed dressing recipe is made simply with avocado oil (or olive oil), red wine vinegar, honey, poppy seeds, Dijon, salt and pepper.

Slicing strawberries, avocado and red onion

Recipe Variations

Here are a few ideas for different ways to customize this strawberry salad if you’d like…

  • Use different fruit: This salad also tastes wonderful using fresh blueberries, cherries, peaches, pears or pomegranate arils in place of (or mixed with) the strawberries.
  • Use different nuts/seeds: Pistachios, walnuts, pecans (or candied pecans), pepitas or sunflower seeds would all be delicious alternatives to almonds.
  • Add fennel: I also love adding some super-thinly sliced fennel to this salad.
  • Make it vegan: Use your favorite vegan cheese or omit the cheese entirely to make this a vegan strawberry salad.

Strawberry Avocado Spinach Salad with Poppyseed Dressing in Bowl

More Green Salad Recipes

Looking for more fruit-forward green salad recipes to try? Here are a few of my faves!

Strawberry Spinach Salad in Bowl with Poppyseed Dressing

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Strawberry Avocado Spinach Salad with Poppyseed Dressing

Strawberry Avocado Spinach Salad with Poppyseed Dressing

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.9 from 39 reviews
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 4 -6 servings 1x

Description

This delicious Strawberry Avocado Spinach Salad is quick and easy to make, full of great fresh flavors, and tossed with a simple poppyseed dressing.


Ingredients

Scale

Salad Ingredients:

  • 6 cups fresh baby spinach
  • 1 pint strawberries, hulled and sliced
  • 1 avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
  • 4 ounces crumbled blue cheese (or goat cheese or feta)
  • 1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted
  • half a small red onion, thinly sliced

Poppyseed Dressing Ingredients:

  • 1/3 cup avocado oil (or olive oil)
  • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • fine sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Make the dressing. Whisk all ingredients together vigorously in a small bowl (or shake in a covered jar) until emulsified. Taste and season with a pinch of salt and a few twists of pepper, as needed.
  2. Toss the salad. Combine all of the salad ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle evenly with the dressing then gently toss until combined.
  3. Serve. Serve immediately and enjoy!


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212 comments on “Strawberry Avocado Spinach Salad with Poppyseed Dressing”

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  1. This looks like perfection. And I so wish I could have been there!!

    • I think I would use more avocado instead of the cheese. What can I swap the oil for, or do you think it would be good omitting it?

    • I’d like to know the answer to this too. This looks totally awesome but that amount of oil in the dressing makes the calories shoot through the roof! :(

  2. This salad is so pretty! I am in love!

    Sound like you had an awesome trip! I wish I could have come!!

  3. So glad we got to spend the weekend together…it truly was an amazing weekend!

  4. Stunning photos – love the colors and flavors!!

  5. The Big Traveling Potluck sounds like it was so lovely, I am hoping to make it to the east coast version next year! Also? I hope our paths cross at a conference before too long, would love to meet you :) Such a gorgeous spring salad, love the vibrant colors.

  6. You have no idea just how much this is my kind of salad. YUMMM!

  7. This salad is absolutely amazing! I loveeee strawberries and avocados!

  8. How much avocado did you use?

  9. I love salads like this! Strawberries and avocado are a perfect combo!

  10. Sounds like BTP was a blast (loved seeing everyones photos on IG)…totally wish I could have gone! I love all the fresh flavors happening in this salad!

  11. Ahh so glad you had fun! I seriously need to go to a conference one of these days! And this is sooo my kinda salad :)

  12. This salad looks so wonderful and fresh! I love strawberries with avocado — it’s such a great combination. Your poppyseed dressing sounds easy and delicious, too!

  13. So gorgeous, Ali! I love those big chunks of avocado and strawberry, and your poppy seed dressing sounds like the perfect accompaniment!

  14. Sounds like such a lovely and relaxing weekend and trip out there! Would love to attend that sometime. :) I love avocado anything. A guacamole contest sounds like SO much fun Ali!! And this salad? perfection. Everything I love!

  15. Ahhh! The light in these pictures! And I’m glad you had a super time :)

  16. It was so nice to see you this weekend! Hopefully we can do it again soon. I love the combination of strawberries and avocados in this salad, paired with spring spinach.

  17. Friend, I would never ping you as an introvert! You are a rockstar my dear! So glad you had a blast in Cali. And this salad, gorgeous!!

  18. It was SO awesome meeting you over the weekend! You’re just as gorgeous as your recipes and blog! xx P.S. Pass the salad, please!

  19. I’ve been pretty much living off of a salad like this for a while now. SO good!

  20. Your weekend sounds just delightful! I must must must check it out someday.
    Gorgeous salad–I think I could have this for lunch 20 days in a row and never get sick of it!

  21. Drooling over this salad, especially the poppyseed dressing!

  22. YES! I posted a similar salad on Saturday…. I’m in LOVE with all the freshness and spring ingredients.

  23. That dressing is calling my name!

  24. this salad looks AMAZING! and the photos are beautiful!

    but just a heads up, you don’t have the avocado in the ingredients list. i was just curious how much you used. thanks!

  25. I love everything about this salad! I going to be making it one night soon for sure.

  26. This is just to springy and gorgeous for words. Poppyseed is one of my favorite summer dressings. Wait, not it ISSS my favorite!

  27. I have never used strawberrys in salad, but i love avocado, so maybe that’s a good day to try!

  28. Oooh what a gorgeous summery salad. I’m all for adding fruit in, but would never have thought of avos and strawbs together, what a winning combo :D
    x x

  29. Oh my gosh! This salad looks so amazing, Ali! Beautiful photos, too! :)

  30. Oh I love avocados! A four course avocado meal sounds perfect. I’ve made a strawberry poppyseed salad but hadn’t thought about avocado … Duh! Oh, is the avocado mentioned in the recipe? I thought I saw chunks in your (gorgeous) pictures, but I didn’t see it mentioned in the recipe.

  31. yum – this looks perfect! think I’ll add some chicken and make it for dinner tonight :)

  32. Ali that’s so gorgeous! I always love your photos. It was so great to room with you, you are fantastic! Hope we can hang again soon.

  33. Great to meet you finally :) I agree, it was refreshing to not scramble notes down about SEO and traffic!!

  34. It was so fun to see you Ali! And this salad is absolutely stunning – almost too pretty to eat!

  35. Love this recipe my friend. Glad you had a blast at The Big Summer Potluck… sounds like a blast. This salad definitely screams California!

  36. I love everything in this bowl! Looks like everyone had a great time in CA,was sad to have missed it! Next time!

  37. It sounds like you guys had such an amazing time & I definitely wouldn’t have wanted to leave all that avocado behind! This is my kind of salad.

  38. What a beautiful salad. Ahh, Cali, I wouldn’t have wanted to leave either. It sounds like you had fun. I’ll be attending The Big Summer Potluck in July; I’m excited!

  39. Oh goodness, I want this! This salad is so gorgeously vivid :)

  40. Most gorgeous salad ever! I could totally eat this for breakfast!

  41. Have to make this today, and I’m pretty sure I have everything, yay!

  42. Gorgeous salad, one of my very favorites! So glad to hear you had such a great time at BTP, too!

  43. Beautiful and it was so great to finally meet you. I look forward to spending more time chatting next time.

  44. I think I will marinate some chicken tinders in the poppy seed dressing then grill and add to the salad. It sounds amazing

  45. I made this salad for a dinner party last night, with a couple of changes for personal taste and availability of ingredients (for some reason couldn’t find poppy seeds in my local supermarket here in Spain). Everyone loved it! Will definitely be making it again. Thanks for posting the recipe.

  46. I love, love, love this salad! It’s so delicious and refreshing, thanks for sharing! :)

  47. Scrumptious! I used a combination of spinach and arugula and substituted chia seeds for the poppy seeds. Woke up our tastebuds!

  48. Thank you for sharing do you have a book of these wow saldas to do at home instead of paying high prices at restuarants

  49. I made this salad tonight among a few others. It was a huge hit and received many compliments. The only change I made was to replace the blue cheese with an Australian feta. The dressing was brilliant! I will definitely be making this again. Thanks for the great recipe.

  50. I’m so hungry right now I wish I could reach into this computer and eat that up. It looks so delicious.