Description
Delightful strawberry spinach salad offers a quick Mediterranean-inspired blend of fresh produce and zesty flavors. Crisp spinach leaves, sweet strawberries, and tangy feta create a refreshing dish you can enjoy in mere minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
- 10 oz (283 g) baby spinach, fresh
- 3 cups (450 g) strawberries, cleaned, hulled, sliced
- 1 cup (150 g) blueberries
- 1 cup (100 g) pecans, toasted (some chopped, some whole)
- ⅓ cup (50 g) feta cheese, crumbled
- 1 cup (240 ml) balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup (60 ml) honey or brown sugar
Instructions
- Prepare Balsamic Glaze: Simmer balsamic vinegar and honey in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally until the mixture reduces and thickens into a glossy, syrupy consistency.
- Salad Preparation: Wash and thoroughly dry baby spinach leaves, ensuring they remain crisp and vibrant. Slice strawberries into uniform pieces and gently fold in whole blueberries.
- Nut and Cheese Technique: Toast pecans in a dry skillet until fragrant, then roughly chop. Crumble feta cheese to create pockets of creamy texture throughout the salad.
- Composition: In a large mixing bowl, delicately combine spinach, strawberries, blueberries, and feta, taking care not to bruise the delicate ingredients.
- Finishing Touches: Transfer the salad to serving plates, strategically scatter toasted pecan pieces, and artfully drizzle the cooled balsamic glaze in an elegant pattern just before serving to maintain the salad’s fresh, crisp character.
Notes
- Glaze Timing: Prepare balsamic reduction first to allow cooling while preparing other ingredients, preventing potential wilting of delicate spinach leaves.
- Fruit Preparation: Pat strawberries and blueberries completely dry after washing to prevent excess moisture from making salad soggy and compromising overall texture.
- Nut Toasting Technique: Toast pecans carefully on low-medium heat, watching closely to prevent burning, as nuts can quickly transition from perfectly golden to bitter and burnt.
- Serving Strategy: Assemble salad just before serving to maintain crisp spinach leaves and prevent ingredients from becoming soft or losing their vibrant individual characteristics.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes (for glaze)
- Category: Lunch, Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 204
- Sugar: 19 g
- Sodium: 138 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 29 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 8 mg