A light homemade salad with strawberries, spinach, cucumbers, toasted almonds, and a simple homemade dressing.
If you need a fresh, beautiful salad for spring and summer gatherings, this Strawberry Spinach Salad is always a favorite. It’s colorful, easy to prepare, and feels just a little special without requiring complicated ingredients.
This is the kind of salad that works perfectly for:
* baby showers
* wedding showers
* brunches
* cookouts
* or simply lunch at home
The homemade dressing is what really brings everything together.
For the Salad
* Fresh spinach
* Strawberries
* English cucumber
* Toasted slivered or sliced almonds
* Red onion
For the Dressing
* Mandarin oranges or orange juice
* Avocado oil
* White wine vinegar
* Sugar
* Poppy seeds
This recipe is super flexible depending on your family’s preferences.
Why I Love This Salad
One of the best things about this recipe is that it looks fancy enough for entertaining but is actually very simple to make.
The sweet strawberries paired with crunchy cucumbers, toasted almonds, and the homemade citrus dressing create such a fresh combination.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Slice the cucumbers.
I used an English cucumber and sliced it on the Rapid Prep Mandoline.
One little tip:
Cut the cucumber into shorter sections first so they stay more stable while slicing.
You can absolutely slice everything with a knife too, but the Rapid Prep Mandoline makes prep especially fast if you’re making a large salad for a gathering.
2. Slice the strawberries.
For the strawberries, I increased the slicing thickness to #8 for perfect slices.
And here’s an important trick:
Don’t push hard on the mandoline. Let the blade do the work for you.
The strawberries add such beautiful color and natural sweetness to the salad.
Do You Like Fruit in Salads?
I love berries in salads because they add such a fresh sweetness and pair beautifully with spinach.
This recipe is especially pretty in the spring and summer months when berries are in season.
3. Make the homemade dressing.
The dressing comes together very quickly.
In a bowl combine:
* avocado oil
* white wine vinegar
* orange juice is my preference, but you can use lemon as suggested in original recipe
* sugar
* poppy seeds
The original recipe called for:
* ⅓ cup sugar
But I only use:
* about 2 1/2 tablespoons
and think it still tastes wonderful.
Why I Use Orange Instead of Lemon
The original recipe uses lemon juice, but I prefer orange juice in dressings.
If you like, use the juice from Mandarin oranges that give the dressing a softer, sweeter citrus flavor that pairs beautifully with strawberries and spinach.
Red Onion
You can skip the onion entirely if serving a crowd.
Or:
rinse sliced red onion under cold water first to mellow the sharp bite.
Poppy Seeds
Poppy seeds add great flavor and texture, but some people prefer skipping them for parties since they can get stuck in your teeth.
Totally personal preference!
4. Toss the salad gently.
Add just enough dressing to lightly coat the spinach and toppings.
If transporting the salad to a party or shower:
* wait to add the dressing until right before serving
That helps keep everything crisp and fresh.
Presentation Tip
Before serving, make sure a few of the strawberry slices are visible on top of the salad.
Those bright berries add such pretty color and make the whole salad look extra inviting.
5. Finish with toasted almonds.
Top the salad with toasted slivered almonds.
I prefer slivered almonds because they add a little more crunch and texture, but sliced almonds work perfectly too.
Why I Love This Recipe
* Fresh and colorful
* Great for entertaining
* Easy homemade dressing
* Beautiful presentation
* Flexible ingredients
* Quick to prepare
* Perfect spring and summer salad
This is one of those recipes that always feels fresh, cheerful, and special on the table.
Want to browse the Pampered Chef tools I used in this recipe? Check them out here!
Do you enjoy fruit in salads… or are you more of a traditional salad person?
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