Strawberry Spinach Salad with Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing
Strawberry salad with toasted almonds, spinach, romaine and a easy homemade lemon poppy seed dressing is the quintessential West Michigan salad. Everyone has there own version. This one is the OG. I hope you enjoy!
Ingredients
- 2 whole heads romaine lettuce cleaned and chopped, approximately 10 cups of chopped lettuce
- 4 cups Spinach washed and torn
- 3 cups fresh strawberries cleaned, hulled, and sliced
- 1 cup pickled red onion sliced thin (about 1/4 of a large red onion)
- 1/2 cup white vinegar
- 8 ounces pecans or slivered almonds toasted
Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 tsp powdered mustard
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp pure lemon extract
- 2 tbsp poppy seeds
Instructions
homemade Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing -make 1-24 hours ahead
- Add mayonnaise, sour cream, white balsamic, dry mustard, salt, and lemon extract to blender. Blend for 1 minute until smooth. Drizzle in vegetable oil while blending on low. Cover blender and turn on high for a full minute. Pour into a mason jar, or some type of airtight container add poppy seeds and stir. Place in refrigerator and use for up to 2 weeks.
quick pickled red onion
- Slice red onion into thin slices, place in a small mason jar or a bowl. Pour white vinegar over onions add enough water so onions are covered. Place in refrigerator until just before tossing salad together.
Salad Assembly
- To toast nuts: preheat oven to 350 degrees, spread nuts out on a baking sheet and place in oven for 5 minutes checking occasionally. Remove and let cool.Nuts can also be toasted on the stovetop in a nonstick skillet. Keep moving nuts around in pan over medium heat until they start to brown. Remove from heat and dump them on a plate to cool.
- Chop ends off romaine lettuce rinse with cold water, pat dry with paper towel, and cut into bite sized chunks. Wash spinach and tear any larger leaves into bite sized pieces.
- Wash, hull, and slice strawberries.
- Toss romaine and spinach together add onion, pecans, and sliced strawberries. Toss lightly.
- Serve with dressing on the side or toss with dressing and serve as a side or with shrimp or chicken on top for a dinner option.
Notes
Note: If you want to skip making the lemon poppy seed dressing, which I do not recommend, but I get it life is busy, my favorite brand is Briannas Poppy Seed Dressing.
Nutrition
Serving: 2cupsCalories: 535kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 16gFat: 37gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 17gMonounsaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 703mgPotassium: 1467mgFiber: 15gSugar: 20gVitamin A: 78IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 531mgIron: 12mg
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