Strawberry Spinach Salad (With Optional Chicken)

By: The Real Food Dietitians Updated: 7/6/23

This Strawberry Spinach Salad is a refreshing meal that’s perfect for so many occasions. Serve it for a fresh salad lunch at home or take it to a potluck to “wow” everyone around. Sweet strawberries combine with tender baby spinach, onions, goat cheese, sliced almonds, and cooked chicken in this restaurant-worthy salad. Tossed with a vibrant strawberry vinaigrette dressing, this fresh salad is quick to make and sure to satisfy. We’ve provided dairy-free and nut-free options, too.

A Healthy Strawberry Salad You’ll Make On Repeat!

Salad lover or not, this recipe is sure to be a hit. Made with fresh strawberries, creamy goat cheese, crisp almonds, and tender chicken, it’ll have you saying “mmm,” with every forkful. In fact, it’s so yummy, you wouldn’t even guess it’s healthy! The perfect combo of protein, fiber, and healthy fats, it fills you up and satisfies your taste buds for a healthy salad that’s great to whip up for a potluck or bbq, a quick lunch, or weeknight dinner. One batch requires minimal prep time, makes enough for four servings, and can easily be doubled to feed a bigger group. Pair it with your favorite sides, and you’ve got a delish meal that doesn’t disappoint.

Ingredients To Make This Strawberry Spinach Salad

Here’s what you need to make this fresh strawberry spinach salad recipe today:

• Fresh strawberries – you’ll use fresh, sliced strawberries in both the salad dressing and the salad for a sweet, fruity flavor.
• Olive oil – Primal Kitchen Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil is our go-to oil to make homemade salad dressings
• Champagne vinegar – may substitute red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar
• Lemon juice
• Honey – can sub maple syrup, but this will create a different flavor profile
• Salt and black pepper
• Fresh spinach – use spinach leaves to form the base of the salad while packing in lots of vitamins and nutrients like vitamin K, vitamin A, B vitamins, manganese, folate, and copper; may sub arugula or any fresh salad greens of choice
• Red onion
• Green onions (scallions) – include both the white and light green parts
• Goat cheese – may substitute feta cheese crumbles, blue cheese, or shaved Parmesan cheese for a similar flavor while maintaining a good source of calcium
• Almonds – lightly toasted slivered or sliced almonds add extra crunchy and a nutty flavor. May substitute toasted pecans, if desired.
• Cooked or grilled chicken – this is an optional ingredient, but is a nice way to add more protein and make this a main-dish salad. To add chicken, learn how to cook the perfect chicken breast, or use leftover shredded chicken breast

Find the ingredient list with exact measurements in the recipe card below.⁠

How To Make the Best Strawberry Spinach Salad Recipe

Here are the steps to make this easy strawberry salad recipe today:

1. Prepare the vinaigrette. Combine the dressing ingredients in a blender or small food processor, and blend until smooth. Add additional honey as needed to suit your flavor preferences.
2. Combine the ingredients. Add the salad ingredients to a large bowl or 4 individual salad bowls.
3. Toss to combine. Pour the dressing over the salad just before serving, and gently toss to combine, distributing it evenly.

For the complete directions and ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card below. All of our recipes include the nutrition analysis, listing calories, protein, carbohydrates, fiber, sugar, sodium, and more per serving.

To make this strawberry spinach salad dairy-free, omit the cheese. May use a vegan soft cheese or add additional avocado, if desired.

To make this recipe nut-free, swap out the almonds for sunflower seeds.

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Photo Credit: The photos in this blog post were taken by Jess of Plays Well with Butter. 

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