The salad of the summer is here! Whether you need a healthy lunch or are looking for a salad to bring to a party that—this is critical—people actually want to eat, this Strawberry Spinach Salad is the recipe for you.
Consider this recipe more of an adjustable, go-with-the-flow starter than a strict script.
We’ve included the ingredients and amounts to make a stellar Strawberry Spinach Salad for a crowd, but you can switch them up to suit your preference or keep things fresh and new when you come back to make it again. Here are a few ideas:
INGREDIENTS (SALAD:
100g pecans (can substitute with other nuts such as almonds or walnuts. alternatively sunflower seeds could be used)
half small red onion (very thinly sliced)
250 g baby spinach (a 50/50 arugula spinach blend is great too)
400g strawberries (sliced)
100g crumbled feta
INGREDIENTS (DRESSING):
4 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1.5 Tbsp poppy seeds
1.5 Tbsp honey
0.5 tsp dijon mustard
0.5 tsp salt
black pepper
DIRECTIONS:
1. Toast the pecans: Preheat the oven to 177 degrees C. Spread the pecans in a single layer on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the pecans smell fragrant and the center of a pecan is tan when the pecan is broken in half. (Do not walk away from the oven in the last few minutes of cooking. This is when nuts love to burn.) Transfer to a cutting board and roughly chop
2. Place the sliced onions in a bowl and cover with cold water. Let sit while you prepare the rest of the salad (this keeps their flavor but removes the harsh onion bite).
3. Prepare the dressing: In small mixing bowl or large liquid measuring cup, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients—vinegar, oil, poppy seeds, honey, mustard, salt, and pepper—until well combined. (Alternatively, you can shake the ingredients together in a mason jar with a tight-fitting lid)
4. Assemble the salad: Place the spinach in a great big serving bowl. Add the strawberries. Drain the red onion and add it as well. Drizzle about half of the dressing over the salad and toss to coat the leaves. Assess the amount of dressing. You want the spinach leaves to be nicely moistened but not swimming in dressing. Add a little more if needed to suit your preferences. Add the feta and pecans. Toss lightly to combine. Serve immediately, with extra dressing on the side as desired.
SOURCE: https://www.wellplated.com/spinach-strawberry-salad/
If you're using a knife to prep here, do your best to slice things very, very thinly - not quite see through thin, but close
INGREDIENTS:
1 medium-large zucchini, sliced into paper thin coins
2 small fennel bulbs, trimmed and shaved paper-thin
15 g loosely chopped fresh dill
80 ml fresh lemon juice, plus more if needed
80 ml extra virgin olive oil, plus more if needed
fine grain sea salt
4 or 5 generous handfuls arugula
Honey, if needed
60 g pine nuts, toasted (I used almonds)
60 g feta cheese, crumbled
DIRECTIONS:
1. Combine the zucchini, fennel and dill in a bowl and toss with the lemon juice, olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Set aside and marinate for 20 minutes, or up to an hour.
2. When you are ready to serve the salad, put the arugula in a large bowl. Scoop all of the zucchini and fennel onto the arugula, and pour most of the lemon juice dressing on top of that.
3. Toss gently but thoroughly. Taste and adjust with more of the dressing, olive oil, lemon juice, or salt if needed. If the lemons were particularly tart, you may need to counter the pucker-factor by adding a tiny drizzle of honey into the salad at this point. Let your taste buds guide you. Serve topped with pine nuts and feta.
Serves 4 to 6.
Prep time: 10 min
Source:
101 Cookbooks: Heidi Swanson
http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/shaved-fennel-salad-recipe.html