Strawberry and Spinach Salad with Balsamic

This strawberry and spinach salad with balsamic vinaigrette is a perfect salad to welcome spring time! It is light, crisp, refreshing, and satisfying. The sweetness of the fresh strawberries and apples pairs nicely with the tangy balsamic dressing. The crunch of the almonds goes well with the tender baby spinach greens. Serve this salad with either grilled chicken, baked tofu, or salmon for the perfect entree salad. You can also serve this spinach salad alongside a tasty steak and make this a into a side salad. This recipe is both delicious and versatile.

Ingredients

Balsamic Vinegar Go for a nice aged balsamic. Aged balsamic has a less acidic bite and pairs better with the tart apple and sweet strawberries. Olive Oil When buying olive oil look for a harvested date and choose one that has a harvest date with in the last year. This is because as olives tend to get picked pressed and then stored in large tanks to be bottled. The olive oil can sit in these tanks for up to a year before its bottled and while the oil doesn’t go bad per say it loses a lot of its flavor. Baby Spinach When buying spinach look closely at the entire package and look to make sure that it isn’t wet or slimy on the inside. As this is a good indicator that the spinach has gone bad. Strawberries Look for strawberries with a bright red color and sweet scent. Open the package and look beyond the first layer and make sure there’s no hidden mold that you cant see from the outside of the package. Red Apple Go for a nice gala, fuji or pink lady variety as these apples have a nice crunch and offer a nice sweetness but also a nice tartness as well. When picking apples look for ones that have an unbruised flesh and have an undamaged peel. They should be firm and not soft, a soft apple is a rotten apple. Slivered Almonds either use slivered or sliced almonds either will work great for this recipe. If they are raw and untoasted you can toast them in either a pan over low to medium heat tossing every 30 seconds to a every min for about 3-5 mins or until they become fragrant and slightly tanned. You could also toast your almonds in the oven at 350 for 10 mins stirring them at the half way point.

Tips and Tricks

• When mixing the dressing you can use an immersion blender to get a nice even emulsion.
• When tossing the salad with the dressing just toss the spinach and once tossed add to serving bowls and top with remaining ingredients.
• If you are allergic to almonds, you can substitute it for pumpkin seeds.
• If you want to avoid using nuts and seed altogether, you can use a crumbly cheese such as gorgonzola or feta instead in this salad recipe.
• Do not mix the spinach and salad dressing until you are close to serving the dish. Spinach can be delicate and could wilt.
• Feel free to try different varieties of apples and berries in this recipe.

Serving Suggestions

• Serve this Strawberry and Spinach Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette as is for a wonderful side salad that pairs nicely with a almost any white fish recipe, tofu recipe, or your favorite roasted chicken dish.
• Additionally you can top this strawberry and spinach salad with either grilled chicken, baked tofu, or broiled salmon to make this salad an entree.