Spinach Strawberry Walnut Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

Spinach Strawberry Walnut Salad, the perfect summer salad. With goat's cheese, avocado and orange and poppy seed dressing this is a real show stopper!

Course Salad

Cuisine Salads

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 20 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Calories 607kcal

Author Michelle Alston

Ingredients

For the Salad

4 cups of baby spinach (110g/3.9oz)
2 cups of strawberries (290g/100z) hulled and cut in half, larger strawberries cut into quarters
2 stalks of celery thinly sliced
1 cup of chopped cucumber (150g/5.3oz)
1 large ripe avocado cut into large chunks
4 medium radishes thinly sliced
3 large scallions (spring onions) the white and light green part, sliced
⅓ cup of walnut halves (45g/1.7oz)
1 x 4oz log of semi-soft goat's cheese (110g)
¼ cup pumpkin seeds (35g/1.2oz) optional

Orange and Poppy Seed Dressing

½ cup extra virgin olive oil (118ml)
⅓ cup freshly squeezed orange juice from 1 large orange (80ml)
1 tablespoon runny honey
½ heaped tbsp Dijon mustard
½ tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 ½ teaspoon poppy seeds
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Make The Dressing

Add all the dreesing ingredients to a jar with a tightly fitting lid. Shake very well. Leave in the fridge until you are ready to use it.

Make The Salad

Add all the salad ingredients except the avocado, goat's cheese and strawberries to a large serving bowl.
Toss well.
Next, add the avocado, crumble in the goat's cheese and toss very gently.
Drop the strawberries on top of the salad.
Pour the dressing over everything then serve immediately.

Notes

Make it vegan, ditch the cheese and swap the honey for maple syrup.
Dressing - you don't have to use all the dressing if you don't want to. I sometimes like to add it separately on the plate. If you have any leftovers keep them in a jar with a lid in the fridge, it will last for 4 or 5 days.
Storing and making ahead, this salad really is best made fresh and is best eaten straight away. You can make the dressing the day before if you want.
Nutritional Information - all nutritional information shared is an estimate based on third-party calculations. If calorie count and/or nutritional values are important to you, we recommend putting the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary depending on which brands were used. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.
Weights and measurements - For US readers, I use Cuisipro measuring cups and spoons, and a Pyrex measuring jug for liquids. These are the industry standard. Cup/spoon volumes can differ from brand to brand, for accuracy, I recommend weighing all ingredients if possible for the best results.

Nutrition