Strawberry Fields Spinach Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
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Perfect for a holiday table or weeknight meal, this colorful strawberry spinach salad packs a flavor punch with every bite!
“This was so simple & amazing!” ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ –Shawna
About This Salad
Spinach, strawberries, bacon, feta, red onion, and more are topped with a mild, lemony, sweet dressing that’s sure to please all ages.
We created this Strawberry Fields Salad to be the perfect spinach salad for your Easter lunch, but it’s versatile enough to work anytime!
The vibrant colors of strawberries, spinach, and red onions and the bright golden dressing make this salad part of the lively table decorations.
It would also be a delicious side to grilling recipes.
Ingredients Needed
Here is what you need to make this spinach salad:
For the Vinaigrette:
- Fresh lemon juice – Fresh lemons are best.
- Lemon zest – Just zest the lemons before you juice them.
- Honey – local is always best
- Salt & Pepper
- Olive Oil – Avocado oil also works.
For the Salad:
- Spinach – Organic is best. Spinach is one of the dirty dozen meaning it has a lot of pesticides if not organic.
- Bacon – Uncured is healthier. Here is where we get our uncured bacon.
- Sliced Almonds – See notes on toasting almonds in the notes.
- Sliced Red Onion
- Fresh Strawberries – Again, organic is best.
- Goat cheese or feta cheese – I prefer goat cheese!
Tip: Bake Your Bacon
Here is an easy step-by-step guide on how to cook bacon in the oven. It makes less mess and makes better bacon!
About the 3-Ingredient Salad Dressing
Let’s chat about this golden goodness in the form of dressing, shall we?
The Lemon Vinaigrette for this spinach salad only requires THREE main ingredients!
- Lemons
- Oil
- Honey
This simple, elegant dressing provides a little extra sweetness (thanks to the honey) and tartness (thanks to the lemon juice and zest) to balance out the saltiness of the bacon and bite of the red onion.
It’s a mild, lighter dressing that anyone will like and complements, rather than masks, the flavors of the different ingredients in the salad.
Why Make Your Own Salad Dressing?
Making healthy homemade salad dressings is easier than you think. They are cheaper, healthier, and tastier, too.
Why would you not!? Here are 10+ easy salad dressing recipes to start with when making your own salad dressing at home.
To make it even easier, we made a printable cheat sheet of homemade salad dressings. Download it through the form below!
Salad Dressing Cheat Sheet
Our best homemade salad dressings all in one place!
- Download it.
- Print it.
- Use it over and over again!
Can You Make This Salad in Advance?
Yes! You can prep the salad a few hours in advance. (Probably not much longer if you want the ingredients to taste nice and fresh.)
Just don’t add the dressing until you are ready to serve it.
To store the salad, cover it and store in the fridge for a few hours.
Recipes to Serve with Strawberry Spinach Salad
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Strawberry Spinach Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
This colorful spring-inspired salad packs a flavor punch with every bite! Spinach, strawberries, bacon, feta, red onion, and more are topped with a mild, lemony, sweet dressing that’s sure to please all ages.
Ingredients
For the Vinaigrette:
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about juice of 3 large lemons)
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/3 cup honey
- 3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup Extra Virgin olive oil
For the Salad:
- 8 cups baby spinach, loosely packed
- 1/2 pound bacon, cooked and chopped
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted*
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
- 1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
- 4 ounces crumbled goat cheese or feta cheese
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Make the Vinaigrette: Add all the ingredients to a mason jar with lid. Seal tightly and shake until combined. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your preference. This dressing can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- Assemble the Salad: On a serving platter, add the spinach. Top with the bacon, toasted almonds, red onion, strawberries, and cheese.
- Serve: Shake up the dressing and serve alongside the salad.
Notes/Tips
*To Toast the Almonds: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the almonds on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for about 4 minutes. Give them a shake, and bake another 3-5 minutes until they begin to smell toasted and are starting to turn golden. Keep a close eye on them, so they don’t burn! Remove from the oven and immediately transfer to a plate or parchment paper to cool.
Where We Get Our Bacon: We get delicious, uncured bacon and other meat from ButcherBox. We highly recommend this doorstep service to source healthy meat–like organic chicken, wild salmon, and grass-fed beef–and have used it for years ourselves. Read my honest ButcherBox Review here.
More Lemony Recipes You Might Like
Hello, Rachel, I made your lovely lemon vinaigrette today to go atop my own rendition of a spinach salad. I used gorgeous Meyer lemons from a friend’s tree. Your recipe for this dressing is perfectly flavored. We have many salads this vinaigrette will be perfect for! Best, Dianna
★★★★★
What a treat to use fresh Meyer lemons from your friend! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Dianna. Thanks for the review!
I made for an Easter side dish. This was so good! I’ll definitely be making this again.
★★★★★
So glad to hear this Amy!
How long will the salad dressing last in the fridge?
Hi Elizabeth! The dressing can be stored in the fridge up to two weeks.
Family loved it!
★★★★★
Wonderful. Thanks for leaving a review Jordan!
This was so simple & amazing! I had no almonds, so I used pepitas & as well as blueberry chèvre! Definitely a keeper!
★★★★★
Yum! Love your swap-out ideas!