Strawberry Spinach Salad

This is a great salad for those hot summer nights.  You can add protein to it with some fresh mozzarella cheese. 

I really like the mozzarella “pearls” you can buy now.  You don’t have to slice them.  They are already the right size for sprinkling on a salad.

Dressing:

• 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon poppy seeds

Salad:

• ¼ cup sliced natural almonds, toasted
• 8 oz (1 1 /2 cups) strawberries, hulled and quartered
• ½ medium cucumber, sliced and cut in half
• ¼ small red onion, sliced into thin wedges
• 1 package (6 oz) baby spinach

For dressing, zest lemon to measure ½ teaspoon.  Juice lemon to measure 2 tablespoons of juice.  Combine zest, juice, vinegar, sugar, oil and poppy seeds.  Whisk until well blended.  Cover; refrigerate until ready to use.

Preheat oven to 350° F. For salad, spread almonds in single layer over bottom of baking pan. Bake 10-12 minutes or until lightly toasted.  Remove from oven; cool almonds in bar pan.

Meanwhile, hull strawberries and cut into quarters.

Score cucumber lengthwise. Remove seeds and slice.  Slice onion into thin wedges.

Place spinach in large serving bowl; add strawberries, cucumber and onion.  Whisk dressing; pour over salad, gently tossing to coat.  Sprinkle with almonds.  Serve immediately.

Serves 10 – 1 cup servings.

Strawberry Spinach Salad – Recipe

Strawberry Spinach Salad – pdf version