This summery strawberry spinach salad has crunchy almonds, nutty toasted quinoa, creamy avocado, and fresh strawberries tossed in a zesty honey-lime salad dressing with fresh mint. Serve it as a side salad with grilled vegetables, or add your favorite protein, like tofu, for a satisfying lunch or dinner.
This strawberry spinach salad is pure summer in a bowl. There's a reason it's one of my favorite summer salad recipes! Like this blueberry quinoa salad, it has natural sweetness and color from fresh seasonal berries. And what better to pair with a strawberry salad than leafy green spinach and crunchy almonds? I also tossed in some nutty toasted quinoa pearls and drizzled everything with a delicious minty honey-lime dressing.
The homemade dressing really makes this salad shine. It reminds me of a mojito, but not too sweet. Rather, this mint dressing is zesty, light, and refreshing. I make the salad dressing in my blender. However, you can make it by hand by just chopping the mint up nice and fine. It will have a bit more texture this way, but it still tastes great.
Why You'll Have This Strawberry Spinach Salad On Repeat
Fresh herbs, leafy greens, juicy fruit, and my favorite grain: Is there a better summer lunch?
Easily make this your own. Salads are wonderful for cleaning out the fridge, aren't they? This spinach salad welcomes add-ins like different berries, nuts, veggies, crispy chickpeas, and proteins.
Juicy berries and fresh greens. I love how this strawberry spinach salad showcases the best of summer's ingredients in one bowl. Adding fresh herbs, like mint, is a great way to boost the flavors even more.
Satisfying crunch. Toasting quinoa brings out a nutty flavor and makes it crispy. It gives a nice texture to this salad while chopped almonds add just the right amount of filling crunch.
Ingredients in Strawberry Spinach Salad
Gather the following ingredients for this strawberry spinach salad and dressing (scroll to the recipe card for the full amounts):
Fresh spinach – Not frozen! I like to use baby spinach as it's more tender. You can use chopped Swiss chard or even other greens, like arugula or kale.
Strawberries – Rinsed, hulled, and chopped into quarters. A quick way to hull strawberries is to push a straw through the bottom, up through to the top. The green stem pops right off. If you don't have strawberries, try making this spinach salad with raspberries, blueberries, or blackberries.
Almonds – Chopped or slivered. You could also use pecans or walnuts. For a deeper flavor and crunch, toast the nuts in a dry skillet for a few minutes. Just don't let them burn.
Toasted quinoa – Toast quinoa the same way you'd toast nuts. Use a dry skillet set over medium heat for about 1 minute. Keep a close eye on it while the grains brown and start to pop, then take the quinoa off the heat.
Avocado – Remove the pit, scoop out the flesh, and chop or slice the avocado.
For the Salad Dressing
Olive oil – Choose a good quality olive oil (or avocado oil) as you'll taste the difference.
Lime juice – Please use freshly squeezed lime juice here. While it won't have the same flavor, fresh lemon juice will work here, too.
Honey – You can use any sweetener you like.
Fresh mint – If you don't have mint, basil is a good substitute.
How to Make Strawberry Spinach Salad
You can make this strawberry spinach salad up to 2 hours ahead and keep it in the fridge until it's time to serve.
Make the dressing. Add your dressing ingredients to a blender or food processor. Blend on high until emulsified and smooth.
Assemble. Next, combine the salad ingredients in a large bowl. Pour over the dressing and toss everything to coat.
What Else Can I add to This Salad?
This vegan salad already has 10 grams of protein per serving. Of course, if you'd like something even more substantial, you can easily add an extra serving of your favorite protein. I like to add:
You can keep this salad refrigerated for a day or two, but after that, the spinach tends to lose its luster, and the strawberries become a bit soggy. Enjoy your leftovers sooner rather than later.
This summery strawberry spinach salad has crunchy almonds, nutty toasted quinoa, creamy avocado, and fresh strawberries tossed in a zesty honey lime salad dressing with fresh mint.
