Strawberry season starts here at the end of this week and my family could not be more excited to go and pick our own strawberries. Our strawberry plants are also doing really well this year so we are going to need lots of good ways to use up all of our strawberries. Here is the recipe for one of my favorite salads. Not only is it healthy, light and perfect for a hot summer day, but the kids will love it. This is one of the few ways I can get my kids to eat spinach.
Here is what you need:
- 1 tbsp. sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp poppy seeds
- 1/3 c. sugar (could use splenda instead)
- 1/2 c. olive oil
- 1/4 c. vinegar (white or apple cider)
- 1/4 tsp. paprika
- 1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp. finely chopped red onion
- 1o oz. fresh baby spinach washed and dry
- 1 quart strawberries – washed and sliced
- 1/3 cup slivered almonds or chopped walnuts (whichever you prefer)
- 1/2 c. crumbled feta cheese
Here is what you do:
In a bowl whisk together sugar, oil, vinegar, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, and onion until well combined. Then add spinach, strawberries and almonds. Toss well so that all of the dressing is equally distributed. Finally sprinkle with sesame seeds and poppy seeds before serving. You may want to make this a few minutes ahead and let the dressing soak in a bit before serving (about 10 minutes). I recommend letting the dressing sit for no more than 30 minutes before serving or it becomes soggy.
Using a sugar alternative like splenda is a great way to cut down on the calorie. You could also omit the feta if your are really watching the fat and calories and it is still a delicious recipe. You could also add sliced chicken breast to this to turn it into more of a main course. Hope you enjoy and thanks for reading!
What are your favorite Strawberry recipes? Do you ever go strawberry picking?
Learning As I Go 