Strawberry & Spinach Salad with Honey-Balsamic Dressing

By Yvoni Nicolaidou and Vasilia Kouppanou

There is a particular kind of salad that arrives at the table looking effortless and beautiful, requires almost no cooking whatsoever, and yet manages to be one of the most nourishing and satisfying things you can eat at any time of year. This Strawberry and Spinach Salad is exactly that.

Anti-inflammatory baby spinach, packed with iron and folate, forms the base. Ripe strawberries add brightness, colour and a generous hit of vitamin C. Flaked almonds provide a deeply satisfying crunch and a meaningful dose of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats. A little crumbled feta brings saltiness and a gentle probiotic quality that makes the whole dish feel nutritionally complete! The honey-balsamic dressing is whisked together in the time it takes the almonds to toast, and the result is something that looks far more effortful and considered than it truly is.

For the best results, always choose strawberries by scent rather than appearance alone. A strawberry that smells headily, intensely sweet will taste far superior to one that looks picture-perfect but offers nothing to the nose. Hull them on the day you plan to serve the salad to prevent the cut edges from softening and weeping into the dressing. The red onion, sliced as thinly as you can manage, adds a pleasant, gentle sharpness that lifts the whole dish without overwhelming it. The dressing keeps well for three days in a sealed jar in the refrigerator, making this a brilliant recipe to batch-prepare at the start of a busy week! Add cooked quinoa or a grilled chicken breast to turn it effortlessly into a complete and sustaining lunch.

Health tip: Spinach is richest in iron and folate when eaten raw. Pairing it with the vitamin C in strawberries creates a powerfully effective nutritional combination!

  1. 150g baby spinach leaves
  2. 250g fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
  3. 40g feta cheese, crumbled
  4. 30g flaked almonds, lightly toasted
  5. ¼ small red onion, very thinly sliced
  6. 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  7. 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  8. 1 tsp runny honey
  9. Salt and black pepper to taste

Toast the almonds in a dry pan over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring often, until golden and fragrant. Tip onto a plate to cool.

In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, and a pinch of salt and pepper until well emulsified.

Arrange the spinach leaves on a large plate or shallow bowl. Scatter over the strawberries and red onion slices.

Drizzle the dressing evenly over the salad, then top with crumbled feta and toasted almonds. Serve immediately.

Created by clinical dietitians Yvoni Nicolaidou, Pediatric and prenatal dietitian, and Vasilia Kouppanou Oncology dietitian. [email protected], [email protected], urnutrisource.com