This easy spinach and strawberry salad is ready in less than 10 minutes! With crumbled goat cheese, toasted walnuts, and a quick homemade balsamic vinaigrette. Vegetarian.
Few things scream "summer" like this strawberry walnut salad with fresh baby spinach and crumbled goat cheese. This recipe is ready in ten minutes with very little prep work, and features a homemade balsamic salad dressing that comes together with a few pantry staples and a small mason jar!
Ingredients
Scroll to the recipe card below for a full ingredients list with exact quantities.
This recipe is ultra-simple, but we want to highlight a few things before you jump in:
- Fresh strawberries are the star of the show! For maximum flavor, use ripe strawberries at the height of their summer season.
- Baby spinach is our go-to for this recipe, but you can also use fresh kale, arugula, or a mix of your favorite greens.
- Crumbled goat cheese lends brightness and texture; its tangy flavor is a perfect counterpoint to the sweetness of the strawberries here.
- Our quick balsamic vinaigrette dressing needs just olive oil, balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, and a pinch of salt.
Toast the Walnuts for Best Results
To toast walnuts, place the nuts in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Cook them for just a minute or two, stirring constantly, until they're fragrant and have barely darkened in color.
If you're short on time, you can skip this step. But if you have a minute to spare, toasting your chopped walnuts will bring out a TON of extra flavor.
Variations and Substitutions
This strawberry spinach salad recipe is fairly forgiving: It's easy to customize with whatever you have on hand! A few of our favorite riffs:
- Add your favorite protein. Toss in some grilled or meal prepped shredded chicken for a heartier salad. This recipe is also excellent with salmon, steak, or bacon.
- Mix up the fruit. Use fresh sliced peaches, apples (à la our spinach apple salad!), or pears instead of (or in addition to!) the strawberries here. You can also use pomegranate seeds, fresh blackberries, blueberries, or raspberries.
- Use crumbled blue cheese, feta cheese, or gorgonzola cheese instead of goat cheese.
- Swap the toasted walnuts for almonds, candied pecans, or toasted pumpkin seeds/pepitas.
- Adjust the balsamic dressing! Swap lemon juice or apple cider vinegar for the balsamic vinegar. For a sweeter dressing, add a splash of honey or maple syrup. For a more tart dressing, add extra balsamic.
Instructions
Make the Dressing
Add olive oil, balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, and a pinch of kosher salt to a small mason jar with a tight-fitting lid (Image 1, above). Screw the lid on (Image 2), then shake the jar well (3) to bring the dressing together (4). Set aside while you prep the rest of the salad ingredients.
If you don't have a mason jar, you can whisk the dressing together in a small bowl or measuring cup.
Make Ahead Tip: This balsamic vinaigrette keeps well in the fridge! Make it in advance or whip up a double or triple batch and use it on salads all week long.
Assemble the Salad
Add spinach, goat cheese, strawberries, and toasted walnuts to a large mixing bowl (Image 5, above). Pour the balsamic dressing over top (6), then use two large forks or a pair of tongs to toss everything together until the salad is evenly coated in the dressing (below). Serve immediately!
A Few FAQs
Yes! Mix the balsamic vinaigrette and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. You can also double or triple this dressing recipe and keep it on hand for salads all week long. If you're making an extra big batch of salad dressing, use a larger mason jar or zip it together in a blender to help it blend and emulsify smoothly!
We recommend eating this salad as soon as it's ready! If it sits too long, the strawberries and spinach will get soggy, so eating it fresh is best.
More Summery Salad Recipes
Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment and star rating below to let us know how it turned out!
Print📖 Recipe
Strawberry Spinach Balsamic Salad
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 minutes
- Total Time: 7 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4
- Category: Salad
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This easy strawberry spinach salad is perfect for summer! With fresh berries, tangy goat cheese, and a quick balsamic vinaigrette.
Ingredients
For the Dressing (Makes ¼ cup):
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- kosher salt, to taste
For the Salad:
- 4 packed cups spinach
- 2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled (about ½ cup)
- ¼ cup walnuts, chopped and lightly toasted
- 8 ounces strawberries, sliced (about 2 cups)
Instructions
Make the Dressing:
- Add the dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and a pinch of salt to a small mason jar with a tight-fitting lid.
- Attach the lid and shake the jar until the dressing is smooth and emulsified. Set aside. Note: if you don’t have a jar, whisk the dressing together in a small bowl.
Assemble the Salad:
- Add spinach, crumbled goat cheese, toasted walnuts, and sliced strawberries to a large bowl.
- Drizzle dressing over the salad; toss to combine. Serve immediately.
Notes
Additions and Substitutions. Swap the spinach for fresh arugula, kale, or mixed greens. Use blackberries, blueberries, peaches, pears, or apples in place of (or in addition to) the strawberries. Use crumbled blue cheese, gorgonzola, or feta in place of goat cheese. Add sliced red onion or shallot, pomegranate seeds, or protein (salmon, bacon, chicken) if you like. For the dressing, swap the balsamic for lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. Add a dash of maple syrup or honey for added sweetness; adjust the amount of balsamic to suit your tastes.
To toast walnuts, place the nuts in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Cook them for just a few minutes, stirring constantly, until they're fragrant and have just barely darkened in color. This is an optional step, but it adds a ton of flavor to this salad!
Make Ahead Tips: Make the salad dressing up to a week in advance and store in an airtight container in the fridge until you’re ready to use it (you may need to shake it up again if it’s been sitting for a few days). We love to make a double or triple batch of balsamic dressing to use all week. Toast the walnuts a day or two in advance, let them cool completely, and store in an airtight container on the counter.
Serving sizes. This salad serves 2 as a main dish or 4-6 as a side salad. We have calculated the nutrition information based on 4 servings.
For a nice garnish, reserve some of the strawberry slices and top the salad with them after it’s all tossed together.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 205
- Sugar: 3.7 g
- Sodium: 200.5 mg
- Fat: 18.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 7.1 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 6.5 mg
Jessie
This is EASILY my favorite summer salad. The sweetness of the strawberries just pairs so well with the tart, tangy notes you get from the goat cheese and balsamic vinaigrette. I love adding some grilled salmon!