Strawberry Spinach Poppy Dressing

There's something about a strawberry salad that makes even a weeknight dinner feel like a special occasion. I discovered this particular combination years ago when a farmer's market visit coincided with a surprise dinner guest, and I suddenly had twenty minutes to pull together something impressive. The poppy seed dressing was a happy accident born from whatever was in my pantry that day, but it transformed everything. Now it's the salad I make whenever I want to remind myself that simple ingredients, treated with care, become something genuinely memorable.

I made this salad for my sister's outdoor birthday lunch last June, and I watched people go back for thirds when they thought nobody was looking. Someone asked if I'd bought the dressing from a specialty shop, which made me laugh because it genuinely takes less time to whisk together than it would have taken to drive to the store. That moment confirmed what I'd suspected: people don't expect homemade dressing to taste this good, which means you get to be the person who breaks that expectation.

Ingredients

• Baby spinach: The tender leaves work better than mature spinach, which can feel tough against the soft strawberries. Make sure it's truly dry or the dressing won't cling properly.
• Fresh strawberries: Slice them just before serving so they stay bright and don't weep juice all over everything. The sweetness is essential to balance the dressing's tang.
• Red onion: Sliced thin enough that it's more flavor whisper than texture, and it adds a gentle sharpness that keeps the salad from feeling too precious.
• Feta cheese: Crumbled by hand if you have time—it breaks into better, more irregular pieces than pre-crumbled, and it tastes fresher.
• Toasted nuts: This matters more than you think. Raw almonds taste stale by comparison, so take the thirty seconds to toast them or buy them already done. They add the crunch that makes this a salad instead of a side dish.
• Dried cranberries: Optional but worth including for their chewy sweetness and subtle tartness that plays well with the poppy seed notes.
• Extra virgin olive oil: Use something you actually like eating because you'll taste it clearly—this isn't the place for the cheap bottle.
• Apple cider vinegar: Milder than regular vinegar and it won't turn your beautiful salad sour. The apple undertone matters.
• Honey or maple syrup: Rounds out the dressing and keeps it from being too acidic. Both work equally well depending on what you have open.
• Poppy seeds: Tiny but mighty—they add a gentle nuttiness and they look beautiful suspended in the dressing if you're serving it on the side.
• Dijon mustard: The secret binding agent that makes the dressing emulsify without needing eggs. A teaspoon is exactly right.

Instructions

Make the dressing first:

Pour olive oil and apple cider vinegar into a small bowl or jar, then add honey, poppy seeds, Dijon mustard, a small pinch of salt, and a few grinds of black pepper. Whisk or shake it for about a minute until it becomes creamy and the poppy seeds are evenly distributed. The dressing should look almost thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Assemble with care:

Place the dried spinach in your largest bowl—you want room to toss without flinging everything across the counter. Arrange strawberries, red onion, feta, and almonds on top in whatever pattern appeals to you, then scatter cranberries around if you're using them. Don't toss yet; let each component stay separate so people can see what they're eating.

Dress it just before serving:

This is the crucial moment. Drizzle the dressing over everything and use salad tongs or two forks to lift and turn gently until each leaf is lightly coated. You don't need to drench it; the dressing concentrates the flavors more than you expect.

Serve immediately:

The moment dressing touches spinach, the clock starts ticking. Bring it to the table while the leaves are still crisp and the strawberries haven't started to surrender their juices. This is a salad that doesn't improve with time.

Save

There was a moment during that birthday lunch when my niece asked for the recipe, and instead of rattling off ingredients like I was reading from a card, I found myself telling her about the farmer's market and the last-minute dinner guest and why the strawberries had to be sliced fresh. She's never made it, but I caught her mentioning poppy seed dressing to someone the following month, and somehow that felt like a small success. The salad had stopped being just food and become part of how we talk about taking care of people.

Why Strawberries and Spinach Are Perfect Together

On paper it shouldn't work—sweet fruit doesn't naturally pair with earthy greens, but the poppy seed dressing acts as a translator between them. The vinegar cuts through the strawberry sweetness just enough, while the honey keeps the mustard from being too sharp. It's a balance that feels effortless when you taste it but actually requires all four elements working in concert. The first time someone eats this, they often pause before the second bite, trying to understand what just happened in their mouth.

Customizing This Salad Without Losing the Magic

The beauty of this recipe is that it can adapt without breaking. If you're making it for someone avoiding dairy, crumbled goat cheese or even a good hummus works surprisingly well where the feta goes. For nuts allergies, toasted sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds give you the same textural contrast. I've added grilled chicken or pan-seared shrimp for heartier versions, and the dressing somehow manages to tie everything together rather than getting lost. The framework stays solid even when you rearrange the pieces.

Serving and Storing Tips

This salad is best assembled at the table, but if you're bringing it somewhere, keep components separate until the last possible moment. The spinach can go in the bottom of a container with the other vegetables layered on top and the dressing in a small jar. People love shaking their own dressing anyway—it gives them permission to use as much or as little as they want. If you happen to have leftovers, eat the undressed portions the next day; the dressing doesn't improve after sitting on the greens.

• Pack the dressing separately if traveling more than fifteen minutes in a car.
• Toast your own nuts the morning of if you want maximum crunch and flavor.
• Strawberries at room temperature taste sweeter than cold ones, so skip the fridge if you have time.

Save

This salad has become my default answer when someone asks me to bring something to dinner, because it looks effortlessly beautiful and tastes like I spent far more time on it than I actually did. There's real joy in that kind of simplicity.

Recipe FAQ

→ Can I make the dressing ahead of time?

Yes, the poppy seed dressing can be prepared a day in advance and stored in the refrigerator. Shake well before using.

→ What nuts work best for this salad?

Toasted sliced almonds give a nice crunch, but toasted pecans or walnuts can be delicious substitutes.

→ How can I make this dairy-free?

Simply omit the feta cheese or replace it with a plant-based alternative to keep it dairy-free.

→ Is it possible to add protein to this salad?

Yes, grilled chicken or cooked quinoa can be added for a heartier dish.

→ What beverages pair well with this salad?

This fresh salad pairs nicely with a crisp Sauvignon Blanc or sparkling water with lemon for a refreshing complement.

→ Can dried cranberries be omitted?

Yes, dried cranberries are optional and can be left out if preferred.