Strawberry Spinach Salad with Tomato-Balsamic Dressing

Fresh and full of flavor! This simple Strawberry Spinach Salad is paired with a delicious tomato-balsamic dressing.

AuthorKaitlin - The Garden Grazer

Prep Time:15 mins

Total Time:15 mins

CourseSalad

CuisineGluten-Free, Oil-Free, Vegan

Servings side salads

Ingredients

5 oz. fresh baby spinach (or a spinach/baby greens mix)
8 oz. fresh strawberries
1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced (or green onion for milder flavor)
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds + sunflower seeds (optional)

For the tomato-balsamic dressing:

2 medium roma tomatoes
1 medium shallot (1/3 cup chopped)
1-2 cloves garlic
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar (or up to 1/2 cup)
1-2 tsp. Dijon mustard (I like 2)
2 Tbsp. water (or olive oil*)
1/4 tsp. salt (more/less to taste)

Instructions

Make the dressing: Roughly chop tomato. Dice shallot, and mince garlic. Place in a blender with all remaining dressing ingredients. Blend until smooth.* Taste and adjust flavors if needed. (More balsamic, salt, etc.)
In a large bowl, toss spinach/salad greens with about 1/2 cup dressing (more or less to taste). This gives it a nice coating.
Slice strawberries and thinly slice red onion.
Place dressed greens on a plate and top with strawberries, red onion, seeds, and another drizzle of dressing if desired.

Notes

*Texture: For a smoother, creamier dressing consistency, use 1-3 Tbsp. olive oil in place of the water. (Slowly add it in at the end while blending.) We prefer ours without oil, but both ways work great.

Yield: Recipe makes about 2 cups dressing. (You'll have leftover dressing, so cut in half if desired.) Dressing can be sealed and refrigerated for 3-4 days.

Adapted from "Marshall Field's Cookbook".

Nutrition Per Serving (Estimate)