Simple Spinach Salad with Fruit and Nuts

This simple spinach salad with fruit and nuts is delicious and beautiful. The sweet fruit and toasted nuts are the perfect flavor combo.

I love taking my kids to try new experiences and get their hands dirty learning new things. Recently, we went strawberry picking with our homeschool nature group and had such a fun time! It is such a joy being able to support local farms and meet the families who own them. Plus, watching the kid’s faces light up when they get to do something new and exciting is so fun, and it makes the cost of buying four baskets of strawberries all worth it…plus, we ate a good amount while we were picking too.

I followed my 2-year-old around with her basket and showed her how to pick the ripe strawberries. Once I showed her that she could eat them, it was game over. I was on my own filling the basket while she just walked around stuffing her face with juicy strawberries. Her clothes and face held all the proof. The big kids all ran around with their friends and had a blast. If you have never gone strawberry picking, put it on your bucket list to try next summer!

While we were picking, I realized how many strawberries we were actually bringing home. With four kids and each of them wanting their own basket, we ended up with over 8 lbs. of strawberries! So, in the car on the way home, I started to think of ways we could use them and remembered this delicious salad recipe my mom used to make growing up. It is super simple, but also fresh and delicious. Perfect for a simple but beautiful, summer side dish.

You can easily whip this salad up for yourself to go with your lunch or dinner. Just throw the leftover homemade vinaigrette in the fridge and enjoy it again the next day. Or make a big batch of it to take with you to a summer cookout to share with your friends.

How to make this Simple Spinach Salad:

First things first, wash all of your fruits and vegetables. Even if they are straight from your own garden, it’s always a good idea to wash them before eating.

The Best Way to Wash Your Fruit and Vegetables:

I am a stickler for washing all of our fruit and vegetables really well. Using just water doesn’t clean things off as well as you would hope, so I opt for a better alternative.

The Thieves Fruit & Veggie Soak is a natural, non-toxic way to clean your fruits and vegetables. You don’t have to worry about any toxic chemicals, and you only need to use a small amount to clean them well. Cleans off germs, waxes, parasites, chemical residue, etc.

I love filling up my farmhouse sink with water and a few capfuls of the Thieves Fruit & Veggie Soak, then throwing in all of my fruits and vegetables for the week at one time to wash. It gets some meal prep out of the way and saves me time. You can also fill a bowl with water and a capful of the Thieves Fruit & Veggie Soak and do a little bit at a time. I let everything air dry or pat it off gently before putting it in the fridge. Cleaning and removing the moisture helps fruits and vegetables last longer without going bad.

Another way to wash your fruits and vegetables is with a vinegar soak. The first step is to fill a bowl with water and add a splash of vinegar. Then, put a couple drops of lemon essential oil in for good measure if you have some on hand.

Simple Spinach Salad with Fruit and Nuts Ingredients:

You will need:

• Fresh spinach
• Sliced strawberries
• Sliced almonds, toasted

For homemade vinaigrette:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp minced onion
• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
• 1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1/2 cup avocado or grapeseed oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

Simple Spinach Salad with Fruit and Nuts Instructions:

For toasted almonds:

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees
2. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and spread the sliced almonds on it evenly. If you do not have sliced almonds, pulse whole almonds in a food processor before toasting.
3. Toast in oven for 5 minutes. Because they can overcook quickly, make sure to check them often!

For homemade vinaigrette:

1. Put all of the vinaigrette ingredients in a blender and mix well.

Putting the salad together:

1. Wash and tear fresh spinach
2. Wash and slice strawberries
3. Toast almonds in oven
4. Mix homemade vinaigrette in blender
5. Build salad to your liking

Putting your salad together:

To get started, grab a plate, bowl or platter and fill it up with spinach. Next, grab a bunch of sliced strawberries and place them all over the salad. The more strawberries the better in my opinion.

Then, sprinkle your toasted almonds across the top, and finish it off with the homemade vinaigrette. Go light at first and add more to preference.

Note: If you are making this salad for a gathering or cookout, leave the homemade vinaigrette off until right before serving or on the side for individuals to put on their own salad. I prefer my salads to be dressed very lightly, while my husband likes to use enough dressing to turn his salad into a soup!

Recipe Variations

My favorite way to eat this simple spinach salad is with fresh strawberries and almonds. The beauty of the bright red strawberries alongside the green of the spinach, and the flavor combination of the almonds, strawberries and dressing is delicious.

But if you need alternatives, try these out:

Fruit variations:

• Mandarin oranges
• Blueberries
• Blackberries

Nut variations:

• Pecans
• Walnuts

So, tell me in the COMMENTS, what fruits and nuts are you going to try on your spinach salad first?

Check Out These Similar Posts:

• Peach Fruit Salad with Honey Lime Dressing
• Mediterranean Cucumber Tomato Salad

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• Thieves Fruit & Veggie Soak
• Lemon essential oil
• Food processor
• Blender

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