Friday, May 6, 2011

Spinach & Strawberry Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing


I'm so happy that it's Spring! It's so much easier to eat healthy foods this time of year. All my favorite fruits & veggies are coming into season.
One said favorite is strawberries. Buying organic strawberries off season is nearly impossible...and, when you can find them, they're outrageously expensive. When I saw a pound of beautiful looking strawberries at the market this week, I grabbed some.
I was thinking about making a Mother's Day appropriate recipe...something that would be really pretty for a brunch. I've had strawberry salad with poppy seed dressing before & I thought I'd be able to throw something together. It came out really good...and met the approval of the whole family. This salad is perfect for kids, as it's just sweet enough to please them & it also has fruit in it!

Begin with 8 ounces of [organic] strawberries. Wash & hull them.

Next, add a 5 ounce bag of baby spinach to a salad bowl. Add the strawberries on top,

along with a 1/3 cup of coarsely chopped {shelled} pistachios.

To make the dressing, in a mixing bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup sour cream, 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt, 1/2 tablespoon agave nectar, 1/2 tablespoon {very finely minced} shallot, 1/8 teaspoon grated lime zest, 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt & some ground black pepper {to taste}.
Add 1 tablespoon grape seed oil & 1 tablespoon water
in a slow steady stream, while whisking {to achieve a pourable consistency, add a bit more water, if necessary}.

Stir in 1 tablespoon of poppy seeds.

Drizzle some of the dressing over the salad, toss to combine & serve.

Spinach & Strawberry Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

The Parsley Thief
Serves 4- 6

5 ounces baby spinach
8 ounces strawberries {hulled & sliced}
1/3 cup shelled pistachios {coarsely chopped}
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/2 tablespoon agave nectar
1/2 tablespoon very finely minced shallot
1/8 teaspoon grated lime zest
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper {to taste}
1 tablespoon grape seed oil {or, similar neutral oil}
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon poppy seeds

Add the spinach, strawberries & pistachios to a salad bowl. Make the dressing: Whisk together the sour cream, yogurt, agave, shallot, lime zest, lime juice, salt & pepper to a mixing bowl. Add the oil, while whisking, in a slow steady stream. Add the water; whisk until the dressing is a pourable consistency. If necessary, add a bit more water. Stir in the poppy seeds.
Drizzle some of the dressing over the salad, toss to combine & serve.
Click here for the printable recipe.

14 comments:

Lori @ Girl Meets Oven said...

Strawberry and spinach salad is the best. Never thought of adding pistachios before. Sounds yummy! Your pictures are beautiful.

Alicia said...

MMMmm - I love putting fresh fruit in salad at this time of year - say goodbye to dried cranberries and hello to fresh spring berries!

The Healthy Apple said...

Love this salad and the dressing is fabulous. Your blog is beautiful and I'm so happy to have found it! Enjoy your weekend.

Blog is the New Black said...

This looks wonderful and springy!

Kolaleh said...

How clever!

Unknown said...

Beautiful and delicious looking! I love strawberry season and try to eat them as much as possible as it seems so short that local berries are available. Thanks for a great looking recipe!

Joanne said...

I'm definitely on a strawberry salad kick now after the one I posted, so this is totally getting made! It's super pretty!

Josie Lee Suska said...

That dressing looks great for such a salad!

Marmande in the Kitchen said...

This looks so fresh and spring-y! I just bought a big container of strawberries and this looks perfect for brunch tommorow!

Mother Rimmy said...

I have a salad much like this that is such a company pleaser. The bowl is gone in a flash. I can't wait to try your version!

Elisabeth said...

Wow, what a great idea for a salad! Fresh spinach is one of my fav veggies. :-)

But I do have a question: Since agave nectar is impossible to find around here, what can I substitute it with? Honey, or maybe some plain syrup?

Culinary School: Three Semesters of Life, Learning, and Loss of Blood said...

I make something similar to this, only I add julienne red onion for a little sharp. Very nice salad - always gets compliments.

Tracey @ KitchenPlayground said...

Yum! I make a Strawberries & Greens salad with Honey Viniagrette ... also a great combination.

Anonymous said...

I've always seen strawberries incorporated into salads, but have never tried it. Can't wait to try your recipe

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