Whether you're looking for a healthy, plant-based lunch, side salad, or something to bring to a summer bbq, this strawberry spinach salad with feta and avocado is for you! Topped with a white balsamic vinaigrette, this recipe is light, refreshing, and bursting with flavor.
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This is truly one of the best summer salads! It has the perfect blend of flavors and textures and is actually satisfying. It's naturally plant-based, vegan, and gluten free. This recipe is totally flexible/customizable, as variety of toppings would work well!
Key Ingredients
I feel like all salads are very adjustable and more of a 'go-with-the-flow' type of meal. I have included measurements in the recipe card, but if you want more or less of something, adjust it to your preference!
- Spinach: as our leafy green base!
- Strawberries: it's berry season my friends, go grab 'em and enjoy while they're perfectly ripe & juicy and more affordable.
- Avocado: to add some healthy fats and to make this a filling salad.
- Red Onion: for a nice crunch and to keep the salad from getting too sweet.
- Cucumber: to give this salad a boost of freshness.
- Walnuts: for healthy fats, plant-based protein, and a crunch.
- Feta: vegan feta cheese, of course!
- White Balsamic Vinaigrette: this dressing is a mixture of white balsamic vinegar, olive oil, agave, and seasonings.
How to Make this Strawberry Spinach Salad
Salads are the best because they are so quick and easy to make!
First, add the spinach, sliced strawberries, sliced avocado, diced red onion, cucumber, chopped walnuts, and crumbled feta to a large bowl.
Next, in a separate, small bowl, mix together the ingredients for the balsamic vinaigrette.
Lastly, pour on your desired amount of dressing and toss well to combine. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Recipe Variations
I love this recipe as is but I know many of you might need to make some changes, whether it's preference or allergy related! Here are some options that would work well:
- Make this recipe nut-free by replacing the walnuts with sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, or flax seeds! Alternatively, you can leave them off completely.
- Switch up the base of your salad! This recipe is great with half spinach/half arugula or even just arugula alone. Honestly, any lettuce or leafy green you prefer to have on your salads will work well.
- Use a different berry. Any fresh berries would work well with this recipe. If you prefer blueberries, blackberries, or raspberries, feel free to add them to the salad or replace the strawberries entirely.
- Change up your toppings! Some other toppings that would be fantastic on this salad are different nuts like almonds or candied pecans, a grain like quinoa, or seeds!
- Switch out your salad dressing for whatever you like. A poppy seed dressing or a raspberry vinaigrette would also be fantastic on this salad.
Quick Tips
Only one tip for you today: dress your salad when you plan to eat it. If you don't plan on eating it immediately, store the salad and dressing in separate air-tight containers. Your salad will get incredibly soggy otherwise!
FAQ
This undressed salad will stay fresh in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. The dressing will stay fresh up for 1 week.
You can definitely meal prep this salad! I highly recommend keeping the salad and salad dressing in two separate containers and only combining them when you're ready to eat it. Doing so will keep your salad from getting soggy.
Love salads? Check out these other recipes:
- Blueberry Chickpea Salad
- Vegan Caesar Salad with Homemade Croutons
- Spring Lentil Salad
- Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad
If you make this recipe, be sure to snap a pic and tag me on Instagram. If you have any questions or feedback at all, send me an e-mail or leave a comment below! I hope you love it as much as we do!
📖 Recipe
Strawberry Spinach Salad
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 10 oz baby spinach
- ½ pound strawberries sliced in half
- 1 avocado sliced
- ½ small red onion diced
- 2-3 mini cucumbers sliced
- ¾ cup raw walnuts or pecans chopped
- 4-6 oz vegan feta crumbled
White Balsamic Vinaigrette
- ¼ cup white balsamic vinegar
- ½ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons agave
- ¼ teaspoon italian seasoning
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the spinach, sliced strawberries, sliced avocado, diced red onion, cucumber, chopped walnuts, and crumbled feta to a large bowl.10 oz baby spinach, ½ pound strawberries, 1 avocado, ½ small red onion, 2-3 mini cucumbers, ¾ cup raw walnuts or pecans, 4-6 oz vegan feta
- In a separate, small bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the balsamic vinaigrette.¼ cup white balsamic vinegar, ½ cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons agave, ¼ teaspoon italian seasoning, salt and pepper
- Pour on your desired amount of dressing and toss well to combine. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Lauren
sooo refreshing I love this salad so much