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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”

  1. I count calorie so I needed to know how much calorie it has, if its okay?

    • Hi Haydee! We’re sorry but we are unsure of the nutrition facts/amount of calories in this recipe. We currently are not publishing nutrition facts on the site, as the nutrition calculators available are not 100% accurate, and we never want to publish anything that might be misleading. However, a lot of our readers love the My Fitness Pal nutrition calculator, so feel free to try that for an estimate. We hope that helps!

  2.  A premade poppyseed dressing would work right?  My dressings never turn out right :(

  3. Delicious!! It would be helpful the have the nutrition information for this and all other recipes on your site.

    • Hi Joe! We currently are not publishing nutrition facts on the site, as the nutrition calculators available are not 100% accurate, and we never want to publish anything that might be misleading. However, a lot of our readers love the My Fitness Pal nutrition calculator, so feel free to try that for an estimate. We hope that helps!

  4. I just want to say I’m new to blogs and actually liked you’re web page. Most likely I’m likely to bookmark your website . You definitely have beneficial writings. Thanks a bunch for sharing your website.

  5. I made this today except I had Strawberry poppyseed Greek yougart dressing, simply amazing.

  6. Wonderful recipe!!!! I wanted to let you know that I’ve included it in a roundup of incredibly delicious strawberry recipes on my website! Here is the link for your reference!
    Thanks for sharing your culinary talents!

    • Thanks, Stephanie, we really appreciate that! We’re not seeing the link though, we wonder if you could try posting it again?

  7. I’m actually eating strawberries from Japan (!) while reading this. This is the perfect salad for the warmer weather!

    Charmaine Ng

  8.  I love the combo of ingredients/flavors going on in this gorgeous salad!

  9. YES! strawberries everywhere and so happy about it! Can’t wait to try this <3

  10. Wow the colors in this are just stunning!!

  11. I’ve always been super suspect of strawberries in a salad, but this looks too good to miss!

    Lo

  12. Spinach, strawberries, and poppy seed dressing is one of my favorite salad combinations!! Thank you for this recipe!!

  13. Hi Ali,
    I saw this beautiful salad picture on Pinterest and it lead me to your website.
    It’s such a brilliant idea. I never thought that I can mix strawberries and salad. I’ll try it for sure and I’ll tell you how it goes.
    I think I need to adjust the recipe a little bit because strawberries here are very sour.
    Thank you so much!!!
    Lucy

    • Hi Lucy! Thank you for your sweet comment, we hope you enjoy the salad! :)

  14. I made this salad for a wedding shower brunch and 25 people. It was perfect for this audience. of culinary afficianados. I cut up strawberries and onions and made dressing the night before. Threw all the ingredients together in a roasting pan this morning and dressed the salad with the poppyseed dressing which everybody liked. This dressing is tasty but didn’t overshadow the distinct tastes of avocado, strawberry, almonds and red onions. The colors in the salaRd are even good. Thanks so much for this recipe.






    • Hi Llavinski! Thank you for sharing with us, and for giving the recipe a try. We’re so glad to know it was a hit! :)

  15. oh gilrs that is delecious

  16. Love this salad. Made it twice already :) DO you by any chance know the calories and nutritional value per serving? Thank you!






    • Thank you, Kasia, we’re so glad to hear that! :D As for the calories and nutritional value, we’re sorry but we’re not sure. We currently are not publishing nutrition facts on the site, as the nutrition calculators available are not 100% accurate, and we never want to publish anything that might be misleading. However, a lot of our readers love the My Fitness Pal nutrition calculator, so feel free to try that for an estimate. We hope that helps!

  17. ABSOLUTELY THE BEST SALAD WE HAVE EVER HAD (USED LESS THAN A 1/3 CUP OLIVE OIL) IT WAS FANTASTIC!!!!!

  18. Salad looks yummy but what other salad dressing can I use? Have any other good dressing recipes?

    • Hi Dorothy! Yes, you could try this one — we think it would be yummy in this salad. We hope you enjoy!

  19. Dorothy,
    You could also try a creamy tarragon dressing. Take equal parts of sour cream and mayonnaise. Add some tarragon vinegar, enough to thin dressing as you wish. Sweeten to taste with sugar or honey.

  20. This is a great go-to recipe! I replaced mustard in the poppyseed dressing with cinnamon and got rave reviews. I also add blueberries when in season.






  21. delicious! brought to a dinner party and tossed at last minute (which I think is key). it was a big hit! love your recipes, especially the creative salads!

  22. Both the salad and dressing were delicious!






  23. Scrumptious is an understatement! So glad I found this on Pinterest.






  24. Tried this salad last night before having visitors around next weekend. It was just beautiful! Particularly on a warm night .Both my husband and I thoroughly enjoyed! He had his with blue cheese ,myself with feta as I am not a fan of blue cheese.
    I pan fried chicken fillets and sliced them (which was an added recommendation) plus added a few blueberries. The flavours really melded well together.
    Great recipe. So easy, tasty and healthy.






  25. My all time favorite salad, so delicious! I used feta cheese in this and it was a real hit. Such an attractive salad as well for a special dinner with friends. I had a lot of compliments.






  26. Really easy to make and very filling. I left out the cheese and added blueberries. Will be making again this week for sure!






  27. I made this last night and it was phenomenal!






  28. This looks summer heaven! I’ll be making this right away. I wanted to know how much calories in one serving as I can only eat 1500 in total, I am eating clean healthy food to lose a few pounds and this salad looks delicious not to make. I just want to be sure it will be less than 500 calories a bowl.

  29. Love the avocado, spinach and strawberry salad with slivered almonds, so creamy with poppy seed dressings…it’s the BOMB!!!…so delicious!!!

  30. .My favourite recipe of all time when it comes to salad! I am making it again today for a Father’s Day celebration. The flavour combo is right up my alley. I do add fresh garlic to my Olive oil and purée it in the blender when I Make it. But that’s just me, I love garlic. I have made this salad no less than 10 times since seeing the recipe on face book. It’s great!!!






  31. Can I used a store bought poppyseed dressing..will it take away from the taste for homemade?

  32. Hi Ali,
    I saw this beautiful salad picture on Pinterest and it lead me to your website.
    It’s such a brilliant idea. I never thought that I can mix strawberries and salad. I’ll try it for sure and I’ll tell you how it goes.
    I think I need to adjust the recipe a little bit because strawberries here are very sour.
    Thank you so much!!! I Appreciate That.






  33. Hi there! I wanted to make this dressing to use throughout the week. Will it last in the fridge?






  34. It’s the bomb!!!!






  35. I really felt I did not know what I was doing. I was very tired when I made this but, everyone Loved it! I had a girlfriend ask for the recipe. Delicious!






  36. A keeper!!!






  37. Hey! I’m considering making this recipe for Easter dinner… just wondering about a substitute for the blue cheese? (Could be a bit much for the guests’ tastes) Looking for other cheese suggestions… I was thinking maybe feta? ?

  38. The blue cheese and and roasted almonds really embellishes this dish – everyone loved it!






  39. I can’t get enough of this salad! So, so good!






  40. I made this vegan style–so sans cheese and it was still delish! I replaced the apple cider vinegar with a Sweet Peach Balsamic vinegar I had and it blended beautifully.






  41. We really enjoyed this. Switched a few ingredients as to what I had in the fridge! (Goat cheese, chopped almonds and no poppyseeds) This will definitely be in our summer salad rotation!






  42. I have made this salad four times in the past week and it is one of the best salads I have ever eaten. Thank you so much for sharing the recipe!






  43. this is awesome great






  44. Fantastic salad! Delicious and healthy, and an all time favorite. Thank you for sharing.






  45. We really enjoyed this. Switched a few ingredients as to what I had in the fridge! (Goat cheese, chopped almonds and no poppyseeds) This will definitely be in our summer salad rotation!






  46. This recipe sounds scrumptious. I really dig your blog and hope you get a chance to reciprocate by checking out a skincare post I wrote on my blog that deals with meditation and acne. After I get some inner peace, I’m going to try your food ideas and get some outer peace. ;)
    Thanks.

  47. Excellent and easy!






  48. Thank you so much for this recipe !!