Spring Strawberry Spinach Salad (Printable Version)

Baby spinach, strawberries, goat cheese, and pecans tossed with balsamic vinaigrette. Perfect spring side or lunch.

# What You'll Need:

→ Salad

01 - 5 oz baby spinach, washed and dried
02 - 1 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
03 - 1/3 cup goat cheese, crumbled
04 - 1/2 cup candied pecans, roughly chopped
05 - 1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced

→ Balsamic Vinaigrette

06 - 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
07 - 1 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
08 - 1 tsp honey
09 - 1 tsp Dijon mustard
10 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

# Method:

01 - In a large salad bowl, combine spinach, strawberries, red onion, and candied pecans.
02 - In a small bowl or jar, whisk olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper until thoroughly emulsified.
03 - Drizzle balsamic vinaigrette over the salad and toss gently with salad tongs to coat all ingredients evenly.
04 - Sprinkle crumbled goat cheese over the salad just before serving. Serve immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • This salad is secretly my trick for making any meal feel sophisticated with almost no effort.
  • The blend of creamy goat cheese and juicy strawberries is an instant conversation starter at the table.
02 -
  • If you overdress the salad, the spinach wilts quickly—always drizzle lightly and add more only if needed.
  • Whisking the vinaigrette for a good minute makes it silky and helps the flavors meld; I once rushed and regretted the clumpy dressing.
03 -
  • Let the goat cheese come to room temperature so it crumbles more easily and blends smoothly with the other ingredients.
  • A quick taste of the finished salad right before serving lets you adjust seasoning—sometimes an extra grind of pepper is all it takes to make it pop.
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