Quick and Easy Strawberry Spinach Salad with Pecans
Fresh summer strawberries bursting with flavor bring this spinach salad to life. Crunchy pecans add the perfect amount of nuttiness, all drizzled in a velvety rich balsamic vinaigrette dressing that’s easy to make. Top with spiced brown sugar chicken, or have it without. Either way, it’s the perfect light summer meal.
Strawberries are an iconic summer fruit. Just thinking about them makes you think of summer, laying out in the sun, sipping some ice cold lemonade (like my Jamaica Tea Lemonade). Set atop a bed of spinach with crunchy pecans and soft, creamy goat cheese, this strawberry spinach salad is perfect on its own, or with some grilled chicken added on top.
Make It Brunch
This salad is perfect for brunch when served alongside my Gruyere and Shallots Scones and finished with a sweet bite of Lemon Poppyseed Mini Bundt Cakes.
Ingredients
- Spinach– I used baby spinach for this recipe.
- Shallots– I prefer shallots over onions in this recipe as I feel they add a lighter flavor that is perfect for this recipe.
- Pecans– I prefer pecans over walnuts because I feel the flavor goes so well with this salad. You can use walnuts if that’s what you have on hand.
- Goat cheese– The perfect light and creamy cheese for this salad. I used plain goat cheese. I feel a flavored goat cheese could overpower the balance of flavors in this recipe, but you could try a different flavor if you want.
- Strawberries– The star of the show. Fresh, juicy strawberries. Mmmm!
How to Make Spinach Strawberry Salad
Step One: There really isn’t much to making this salad. First, rinse and slice the strawberries. I chop the tops off and then slice them vertically.
Step Two: Next, you’ll peal and slice the shallots. I do moderately thin slices.
Step Three: You can choose if you want to crush the pecans up or leave them whole. They are not very hard so are easy to eat without being crushed up. Likewise, you could also buy them crushed up in pieces so you don’t have to worry about doing this yourself.
Step Four: Next, you add all the ingredients together in a large salad bowl. I like to make layers. First the spinach, then sprinkle the shallots, pecans and strawberries on top. Then, you’ll crumble the goat cheese over everything. I use a fork to do this. If desired, you can transfer the goat cheese log into a bowl and crumble with a fork, then add to the salad.
Step Five: Repeat this process until you have filled the bowl.
Step Six: Add the dressing either to the entire bowl and mix in; or let people add dressing to their individual servings. Super simple and then you have the most delicious salad!
Optional Additions
This salad can be eaten (and is perfectly delicious) with or without a protein. I made a side of chicken breast to slice and go along with this salad. I first boiled the chicken breast, then transferred to a skillet on the stove. In this skillet, I added a quarter cup of brown sugar, 1 tsp of chili powder, and a dash of red pepper flakes. I melted the sugar mixture until it was liquid and smooth. Then I sauteed the chicken in the sugar mixture and it carmelized onto the chicken. It also created these little bits of hardened brown sugar that were like eating a sweet/spicy piece of candy. This chicken was so delicious and a perfect addition to this salad.
Other Recipes to Try
If you enjoyed this recipe, try out some of my other salad recipes:
Recipe Notes
I store my salads in a container that has a lid. If your salad bowl does not have a lid, either transfer to one that does, or put some plastic wrap over the top. At it’s freshest, this salad will only last a few days in the fridge, three at max. This is a salad you want to eat as soon as you make it. If you’re making it for a party, I suggest making it the day of for it to be it’s freshest. And I definitely would not freeze this salad.
Yes, you could. You could try Manchego cheese, feta cheese, even a sharp, white cheddar cheese could work.
I have used both baby and regular spinach to make this and they both work well.
Quick and Easy Spinach Strawberry Salad with Pecans
Ingredients
- 5 oz baby spinach leaves
- 4 oz goat cheese log
- 1 medium shallot
- 1 cup sliced strawberries
- 1 cup whole pecans (3/4 cup crushed)
Instructions
- Slice the strawberries and shallots. Crush pecans if desired. Crumble the goat cheese in a small bowl.
- Add the spinach to a large salad bowl. Sprinkle the strawberries, shallots, pecans, and goat cheese on top. If I'm bringing it to a party, I like to leave the toppings showing as I think it makes for great presentation. Otherwise, you can toss with two forks to mix everything together.
- You can add the salad dressing to the entire salad, or leave it off so everyone can choose how much they want to add to their individual salad.
Notes
Nutrition
About Author
I love spinach and strawberry salad and this recipe does not disappoint.