Is it OK to eat raw spinach in salad?

Yes! While mature spinach tends to be more pleasant to eat when it’s steamed or sautéed, the baby spinach in this salad is soft and tender, but still a little crunchy, making it the perfect salad green.

Can I use frozen spinach in a salad?

We don’t recommend it. Frozen spinach has already been cooked, so it won’t have the same texture as fresh baby spinach.

Is spinach healthier than lettuce in a salad?

Each type of lettuce has its own health benefits, but spinach is a superfood that is packed with nutrients and antioxidants in its own right. It’s good for everything from your heart to your bones.

Strawberry Spinach Salad Recipe (With Step-by-Step Images)

Name: Strawberry Spinach Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar; Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper; 4 cups lightly packed baby spinach; 6 ounces strawberries (1 ½ cups), hulled and thinly sliced; 0.25 cups almonds (1 ½ ounces), toasted and coarsely chopped; 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted; 2 ounces feta, crumbled

Prep Time:

10 mins

Total Time:

10 mins

Servings:

2

Pairing leafy salad greens with fresh berries and creamy soft cheese such as feta or goat cheese gained a following back in the '90s, and we're happy the combination has remained popular. It's a simple way to eat your greens and enjoy them too.

The formula is straightforward: baby spinach creates the base of the salad. From there, simple additions amp up the flavor and make the salad something special. Sweet seasonal strawberries, salty and creamy feta cheese, and nutty toasted almonds and sesame seeds are tossed into the salad along with a perfectly balanced white balsamic vinaigrette. Enjoy this flavorful strawberry spinach salad for a light lunch or a fresh side dish at dinner.

Strawberry Spinach Salad on blue surface with dishtowel — Kelsey Hansen

Health Benefits of Our Spinach Salad Recipe

This recipe is both nutritious and delicious, packing both macro and micronutrients into each forkful.

Spinach: This recipe calls for baby spinach, which has leaves and stems that are more tender and sweet than the adult version of the leafy green. Baby spinach leaves are harvested from the plants before they can mature into a full-grown plant. Spinach is a great plant-based source of iron and is also rich in potassium, magnesium, and Vitamins C and E.
Strawberries: Strawberries are also a great source of Vitamin C. They have a roughly 90 percent water content, so they're a hydrating addition to the salad. They also add a hint of sweetness.
Healthy fats: We reach for good-for-you fats to make this salad. Extra-virgin olive oil is used in the dressing, and toasted almonds and sesame seeds add a crunchy texture.
Feta cheese: Gut-healthy feta is one of the more nutritious cheeses, and adds a little protein.

Play around with the ingredients in this salad to make it your own–try baby kale instead of spinach, fresh raspberry and blackberries instead of strawberries, goat cheese instead of feta, and other nuts and seeds like pepitas and/or hemp seeds instead of almonds and sesame seeds.

Ways to Upgrade Spinach Salad

This is one of our favorite side dishes, but with a few easy additions, you can turn this recipe into something dinner-worthy.

Chicken: Simple slices of grilled chicken breast or shreds of store-bought rotisserie chicken are an easy way to add protein to this salad.
Shrimp: We love to add a few plump, lemony poached shrimp to the top of this salad–they will add protein and omega-3 fatty acids.
Tinned fish: Tinned tuna, sardines, mackerel, or any other tinned fish is one of the easiest ways to upgrade this salad.
Cooked grains or legumes: The added fiber and protein from cooked whole grains (like farro, quinoa, and brown rice) or legumes (cooked lentils, chickpeas, or white beans) help bulk up the salad, making it perfect for a filling vegetarian dinner.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
4 cups lightly packed baby spinach
6 ounces strawberries (1 ½ cups), hulled and thinly sliced
¼ cups almonds (1 ½ ounces), toasted and coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
2 ounces feta, crumbled

Directions

Spinach, oil, eggs, salt, nuts, cheese, strawberry, ingredients for spinach strawberry salad — Kelsey Hansen

Make dressing:

Whisk together oil and vinegar in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

Kelsey Hansen
Toss salad with dressing:

Add spinach, strawberries, almonds, sesame seeds, and feta. Gently toss until spinach is evenly coated with dressing. Serve immediately.

Kelsey Hansen

Can I Make Spinach Salad Ahead of Time?

Baby spinach is delicate, so unlike some greens (for instance, kale), the leaves will wilt pretty soon after they’re dressed.

If you want to prepare this salad ahead of time, you can add everything but the spinach and strawberries to the dressing and toss them in just before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it OK to eat raw spinach in salad?

Yes! While mature spinach tends to be more pleasant to eat when it’s steamed or sautéed, the baby spinach in this salad is soft and tender, but still a little crunchy, making it the perfect salad green.
Can I use frozen spinach in a salad?

We don’t recommend it. Frozen spinach has already been cooked, so it won’t have the same texture as fresh baby spinach.
Is spinach healthier than lettuce in a salad?

Each type of lettuce has its own health benefits, but spinach is a superfood that is packed with nutrients and antioxidants in its own right. It’s good for everything from your heart to your bones.