Strawberry Spinach Salad

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My favorite crisp summer salad! Strawberry Spinach Salad is packed with sweet strawberries, crunchy walnuts, and tangy blue cheese. Top it off with the homemade raspberry vinaigrette for a crisp, sweet flavor explosion.

Strawberry Salad topped with whole strawberries, blue cheese, and walnuts with Glass dressing bottle of balsamic vinaigrette.

Contents show

Inspired by strawberry season, I created a salad bursting with flavors reminiscent of my Tennessee childhood. We love salads during the summer al fresco like a Traditional Cobb Salad, Greek Salad, and Chopped Mediterranean Chickpea Salad. Strawberries and wild blackberries grew on the acres I used to roam.

Strawberries are a versatile spring/summer ingredient. Perfect for snacking, salad toppings or tossing into a summer pasta salad. They are rich in several essential vitamins. Did you know strawberries have a higher level of Vitamin C than oranges?

Recipe Ingredient Notes

Just look at all those beautiful toppings!

Overhead of Strawberry Spinach Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette Dressing to show texture of toppings.

A few notes on exactly which ingredients make the best salad for this recipe:

Bleu Cheese: I use Roquefort blue cheese crumbles because they have the best tangy flavor. If Blue Cheese is a little too intense, you can substitute feta, goat cheese, or even cotija crumbles.

Greens – For the greens, I usually mix spinach in with a few spring greens. For a complementary color, you can add in some radicchio lettuce. It’s bright purple and has a little more crunchy texture than other lettuces.

Walnuts – use chopped walnuts or pecans if you prefer.

Raspberry Vinaigrette Ingredients and Notes

There is a recipe included for a homemade raspberry vinaigrette in the card below that is super simple to make! I recommend making extra to keep on hand or use as an excellent marinade on pork tenderloin and fish. Other dressings that go well with this salad would be a regular balsamic vinaigrette, poppy seed dressing, or a blush wine vinaigrette.

Below is a visual reference of the simple ingredients to make it:

Raspberry vinaigrette dressing ingredients with text labels

Raspberries – You can use fresh or frozen raspberries. If frozen, thaw before. For fresh rinse before use. Fresh raspberries do dry out as they sit in the store, so if they are looking a little dry, use a ½ cup more (about 8 oz total).

Balsamic Vinegar – You can use regular or white balsamic. White balsamic is less syrupy and has a cleaner aftertaste. Regular balsamic is shown in the photos.

Light Oil – I use an extra light tasting olive oil, although it does still have a stronger flavor than canola or grapeseed oil, which are alternatives you could use.

How to Make Raspberry Vinaigrette Dressing

Making Raspberry Vinaigrette dressing step by step.

Step by step instructions with tips!

Completely thaw the raspberries if frozen or rinse fresh raspberries and puree in a blender or food processor.
Pour the puree in a cheesecloth. You can use a metal mesh strainer in a pinch. Just make sure the holes are small enough to prevent seeds straining through.
Close the cheesecloth and tie with a rubberband. Squeeze all of the juice out of the raspberries until you have about ¾ cup. If you don’t yield ¾ cup, add a little water and mix thoroughly with puree mixture and restrain the cheesecloth/puree.
In a bowl or mason jar, add the raspberry juice, balsamic vinegar, oil, honey, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt.

*Tip– the vinaigrette can be a bit thin depending on your specific ingredients. If you would prefer a thicker dressing that grabs more onto the lettuce and salad, you can add up to 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. Start with a teaspoon at a time. In a small bowl, mix equal parts cornstarch and dressing until the cornstarch is well mixed in a slurry. Then mix the slurry thoroughly into the rest of the dressing.

Toppings and Variations

Try some of these yummy alternatives to to make this salad recipe your own:

Cheese: Swap out the bleu cheese for feta, goat cheese, or cotija.
Nuts: Walnuts can be substituted for pecans, sliced almonds, sunflower seeds, or pistachios.
Sliced Fruit: Substitute or add oranges, grapes, apples, pears, peaches, or ripened berries.
Protein: Add grilled chicken, steak, salmon, hardboiled eggs, shrimp, or chopped bacon.
Onions: Sliced red onions or chopped green onions
Grape Tomatoes
Avocado Slices

Closeup of Strawberry Spinach Salad in white bowl with beige accent.

Tips

Raspberries tend to dry out in the store or refrigerator, so the amount of juice can vary. If the raspberries look a little dry or wilted, use a bit more.
If you can’t get ¾ cup, *in a pinch* add a little water and mix through the cheesecloth/puree.
The dressing can settle a bit in the refrigerator. Shake or whisk just before pouring.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Long does the homemade raspberry vinaigrette last?

The dressing lasts approximately 2 weeks in a sealed bottle. Refrigerate after opening and shake well before serving.

What to serve with Strawberry Spinach Salad?

Serve the salad with a fresh loaf of crusty bread. If you’re craving some extra protein or married to a meat & potatoes type guy like myself, grill a chicken breast, steak or piece of fish to serve alongside. Enjoy this tasty, simple supper on your back porch with a tall glass of iced tea

How do I thicken the vinaigrette dressing?

If you would prefer a thicker dressing that grabs more onto the lettuce and salad, you can add up to 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. In a small bowl, mix equal parts cornstarch and dressing until the cornstarch is well mixed in a slurry. Then mix the slurry thoroughly into the rest of the dressing.

Strawberry spinach salad showed in a white bowl with blue cheese crumbles, chopped walnuts and spring greens.

Cookbook cover of Chicken and Rice casserole. The cookbook is titled Weeknight Supper Solutions

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PS. If you make this recipe, leave a COMMENT AND A STAR RATING in the comments section at the bottom and be sure to take a photo and tag it #cravingcreative on Instagram! I appreciate you for taking the time to read about me and my family recipes.