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    Hummusapien » Recipes » Salads » Strawberry Balsamic Spinach Salad

    ★★★★★ from 3 reviews

    Strawberry Balsamic Spinach Salad

    Published May 3, 2021 · Modified Jul 27, 2022 · by Alexis Joseph · 6 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    Colorful Strawberry Spinach Salad with basil, feta, tart cherries, farro and the best balsamic. Great for lunch or potlucks!

    platter of strawberry spinach salad

    Potluck season is upon us, my sweet pickles! Can you even believe it? Aaaaand I turn 31 on Saturday. How in the world did we get here??

    Last year at this time I was celebrating my 30th birthday with Jeff in Charleston and we'd juuuuust found out we were pregnant with little Bubbi bear. To say that year flew would be an understatement!

    In honor of birthday week, I have for you a salad that'll knock you and your neighbor's socks off. It may even be as tasty as my kale salad with tahini dressing! For poutlucks! For parties! For social gatherings galore, oh my.

    She's got all the textures and all the flavors. Sweet, salty, crunchy, fresh, bright, savory...straight YUM in a bowl if you ask me. Did I mention this salad is filling? It's stupendous.

    bowl of strawberry spinach salad with fork and dressing

    Delish add-ins and substitution ideas

    This strawberry salad has some key ingredients, but you can also totally make it your own because I'm all about that life.

    • Add chickpeas, white beans, or grilled shrimp for a protein boost.
    • No dried cherries? Simply omit them, swap in dried cranberries, or add fresh blueberries or halved grapes for even more color!
    • I love the flavor of pepitas here, but sunflower seeds, almonds, walnuts, or pecans would all be magical.
    • Make it vegan by omitting the cheese. The creaminess from the avocado is plenty!
    • Make it gluten free by swapping the farro for brown or wild rice or quinoa.

    How to cook farro

    Farro is a delish, nutty and chewy ancient grain. It packs far more of a flavor punch and intriguing texture than other grains, IMO. I just love the body it adds to this salad! It really gives it oomph. 

    You can cook it over the stove or in the Instant Pot. I like to get the quick-cooking pearled kind that only takes 10 minutes to cook, which you can find at Trader Joe's. Simply boil a medium pot of salted water (a 1:3 ratio of farro to water is a safe bet), add the farro, and simmer for 10 minutes, or until tender but still chewy. Drain any excess liquid.

    Regular, non quick-cooking farro will take closer to 30-40 minutes to cook.

    For an even nuttier version, you can toast the farro dry in the pot over medium heat for a few minutes before cooking, stirring occasionally.

    mixing bowl of strawberry salad

    To prepare in the Instant Pot:

    1. Place farro, 1 ¼ cups water and ¼ tsp salt in the pot
    2. Cook on High for 7 minutes.
    3. Natural release for 7 minutes. Carefully remove the lid and drain any excess liquid.

    Greens: we've got options!

    I buy big cartons of baby spinach every week and I love the mild flavor and texture. That said, arugula is a delish stand in if you want a bigger, more peppery flavor pop. Spring greens and leaf lettuce also work! They will wilt a bit more quickly than spinach and arugula, though.

    If you're feeling kale, I'd go for baby kale which is a bit less toothy. Regular kale will work if you massage the dressing in, but kale of course has a much earthier flavor versus the mildness of spinach.

    What's lovely to serve with strawberry spinach salad

    This salad is mighty fine on it’s own, but you have my full permission to jazz her up however you’d like. It makes an amazing main for lunches, but is rad for side dishes, too. Try serving it with:

    • Portobello Fajitas
    • Sheet Pan Lemon Cajun Shrimp
    • Vegan Stuffed Shells
    • Summer Quinoa Salad
    • Healthy Broccoli Salad

    bowl of spinach salad

    How to store leftovers

    This salad makes a lot. To store leftovers if you aren't serving a crowd, keep the salad components separately in the refrigerator from the dressing. I love this shaker bottle for easy pouring.

    The dressing lasts a couple weeks in the fridge and the salad components (minus the avocado) will last up to five days. You can keep the wetter ingredients like strawberries and cheese separate from the rest to prolong its life.

    Strawberry fields forever. HAD TO!

    Print
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    platter of strawberry spinach salad

    Strawberry Spinach Salad Recipe

    ★★★★★ 5 from 3 reviews
    • Author: Alexis Joseph | Hummusapien
    • Prep Time: 10 min
    • Cook Time: 20 min
    • Total Time: 30 minutes
    • Yield: 6 servings 1x
    • Category: Salad
    • Method: Stovetop
    • Cuisine: American
    • Diet: Vegetarian
    Print Recipe
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    Description

    Colorful Strawberry Spinach Salad with basil, feta, tart cherries, farro and the best balsamic. Great for lunch or potlucks!


    Ingredients

    Units Scale
    • ½ cup farro (sub quinoa or brown rice for gluten free)
    • 5oz baby spinach
    • ½-1 pint strawberries, sliced
    • ½ cup basil, thinly sliced
    • 3oz feta or goat cheese
    • ½ small red onion, thinly sliced
    • ½ cup dried cherries
    • ½ cup roasted pepitas
    • 1 avocado, chopped
    • ½ batch Best Balsamic Vinaigrette

    Instructions

    1. Place farro in a small pot with 3 cups water. Cook according to package directions or for 20-30 minutes, until chewy. Cooking time depends on what kind of farro you use. Drain and rinse with cold water and set aside to cool.
    2. Meanwhile, make balsamic vinaigrette.
    3. Layer spinach, strawberries, basil, cheese, onions, cherries, pepitas, avocado and farro on a serving platter or in your largest mixing bowl. (This makes a lot of salad, so you can always dress the amount you want and store the rest separately for future salads). Drizzle on dressing to taste then toss to combine and serve!

     


    Equipment

    chef's knife

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    mixing bowl

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    salad servers

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    serving platter

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    Keywords: strawberry spinach salad

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @hummusapien on Instagram. I love sharing what you make!

    About Alexis Joseph

    Oh HEY there! I'm Alexis Joseph, food writer, blogger, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), new mama, and co-founder of local restaurant group, Alchemy. I use my passion for cooking and wellness as fuel to help others ignite a more freeing and happy relationship with food. Learn more about Alexis!

    5 Secrets to Delish, Healthy Lunches

    Reader Interactions

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      Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

    1. Raquel says

      May 14, 2021 at 9:46 pm

      My husband and kids made this for me for Mother’s Day. It was AMAZING! Thanks for the recipe!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Alexis says

        May 17, 2021 at 5:17 pm

        Awwww I am so happy to hear that Raquel! Happy belated Mother's Day 🙂

        Reply
    2. rosemary says

      May 08, 2021 at 5:33 pm

      this was really good, and super easy to make, I really need to stop just making your desserts, and make the rest of your food more often!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Alexis Joseph says

        May 09, 2021 at 10:27 pm

        Hahaha you made my day!! Thanks so much, Rosemary 🙂

        Reply
    3. Dylan says

      May 04, 2021 at 11:22 am

      The perfect salad! The farro adds such a great texture!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Alexis Joseph says

        May 04, 2021 at 1:18 pm

        Thanks a ton Dylan!!

        Reply

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    Well HELLO there, pal! I'm Alexis. Welcome to Hummusapien, a fantastical food blog brimming with nourishing (always delish!) recipes from a Registered Dietitian plus life tidbits to inspire you to live your most joyful, balanced life. Grab a super hot cup o' joe and let's get cookin'.

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