Spinach Strawberry and Avocado Salad is one of those recipes that is colorful, tasty, and healthy.
You cannot go wrong when something is colorful, tasty, and healthy in my opinion!
Spinach Strawberry and Avocado Salad
This is a colorful and tasty salad recipe that is vegan and Mediterranean diet friendly.
I like that this recipe can be served for lunch, dinner, or even as a side.
Did you try my Avocado, Apple and Spinach salad?
That vegetarian salad is similar salad to this one only it is made with apples, feta, and kale.
This salad is really about the strawberries and the tasty sunflower dressing that goes with it.
Do you want to learn more about the Mediterranean Diet?
Find out how to follow the Mediterranean Diet here.
Are you wondering what goes with fresh strawberries?
I love strawberries because they are tasty yet, low in sugar.
Luckily, I can easily find fresh strawberries year-round and relatively inexpensive.
Strawberries are a great snack when you simply eat them alone.
However, strawberries are also good when paired with other food, such as spinach, lettuce, or other fruit.
When added to salads, strawberries add color, texture, and a balance of flavor.
You may be asking can you eat spinach raw in a salad.
Yes, you can eat spinach raw in a salad.
Personally, I like raw spinach better than the cooked version.
Here is how to clean fresh spinach.
Spinach leaves are known to have sand in them. To clean the leaves simply place the spinach in a bowl of cold water for five to ten minutes, swishing the leaves around as needed. I like to then rinse the spinach and allow the spinach to drain well.
Spinach Strawberry and Avocado Salad
Tips for making a great tasting salad.
I just mentioned that spinach should be cleaned. To clean the spinach soak it in cold tap water to help loosen up the sand from the leaves and then rinse it in running water.
Here are some more great tips for you.
- This salad is best when served just after making it. However, you could easily make the dressing ahead of time and refrigerate it until you actually use it. Allowing the dressing ingredients to sit together can make the dressing taste even better! (opinion)
- Use fresh ingredients, spinach and strawberries, for best results. This will assure that the flavors and colors are at their finest for serving.
- While this is a vegan salad you could add a bit of cheese to it and make it more of a vegetarian salad. I like feta or blue cheese crumbles with a salad such a this one.
How to make Vegan Sunflower Dressing.
Sunflower seeds are the vegan alternative to the dairy that is used to make a creamy dressing.
To prepare or soften the sunflower seeds for this recipe, use raw sunflower seeds that are not in their shells and soak them (cool water for up to three hours or boiling water for 20-25 minutes) until they are soft. You should rinse the seeds in cool water as well.
To make the dressing for this recipe simply whisk together the following ingredients;
- Raw Sunflower Seed Kernels- 1 cup, soaked and rinsed.
- Lemon Juice- 1 ½ tablespoons. That is about one half of a lemon.
- Water- 2 cups, room temperature.
- Olive Oil- 1 teaspoon.
- Garlic Powder- ½ to 1 teaspoon.
- Salt and Pepper as desired.
- Optional- Maple Syrup as needed to sweeten if desired.
Here is how to hull strawberries.
Hulling strawberries means to remove the stem. Use a strawberry huller to scoop the hull from the strawberry. Alternatively, you can push a straw through the stem to push it out.
By the way, while you are here you may also be interested in these ideas.
- Easiest Greek Salad in Vinaigrette Dressing.
- How to Make Fire Roasted Tomatoes.
- Kale and Quinoa Caesar Salad.
- Mediterranean Style Green Bean Salad.
- Classic Eggplant Caponata.
- Easy Chicken Orzo Salad.
- How to Follow the Mediterranean Diet.
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Spinach Strawberry and Avocado Salad
Spinach Strawberry and Avocado Salad
As mentioned, to prepare the spinach, soak it in cold tap water to help loosen up the sand from the leaves.
Then you can rinse the spinach in running water and allow it to drain in a colander.
To prepare the strawberries, rinse them under cool water and allow them to drain.
Use a strawberry huller to scoop the hull from the strawberry. Alternatively, you can push a straw through the stem to push it out. Then cut the strawberries into bite sized pieces.
Ingredients needed to make this Spinach Strawberry and Avocado Salad
- Fresh Spinach- 3 cups (about three ounces, you can cheat and use a 5 ounce bag of prepare spinach leaves... 🙂 ). The spinach should be fresh, washed, and rinsed for best results.
- Strawberries- 1 ½ cups. That is about 12 average sized strawberries. Rinse, hull, and slice the strawberries.
- Red Onion- ¼ sliced. That is about a half cup of sliced onion. Soaking the onion in cool water for ten minutes can calm down the flavor intensity if needed.
- Avocado- 1 sliced. Tip: slice before serving, also, use a fresh and firmer avocado.
- Dressing- see recipe above.
- Desired toppings such as cheese, seasonings, or nuts.
How to make Vegan Spinach Strawberry and Avocado Salad
- Prepare the dressing as described above. If you have not prepared the dressing, do so in advance as the sunflower seeds will need to be soaked.
- Prepare the spinach and strawberries as described above (rinsing etc).
- Assemble the spinach, strawberries, and onions in a large salad serving bowl or individual sized salad bowls.
- Drizzle the dressing on top of the salad. You will most likely not use all of the dressing in this recipe. You can store the remaining dressing in the refrigerator for up to a week, covered, and use again with salad or topping.
- Arrange the sliced avocado in the salad and serve immediately. You can add toppings and season as desired.
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Nutritional Information is only an estimate and can vary especially with ingredients that are used.
Spinach Strawberry and Avocado Salad, a tasty and healthy vegan and Mediterranean diet recipe that is perfect or lunch, dinner or as a side.
Spinach Strawberry and Avocado Salad
Ingredients
- Salad:
- Fresh Spinach- 3 cups
- Strawberries- 1 ½ cups.
- Rinse hull, and slice the strawberries.
- Red Onion- ¼ sliced.
- Avocado- 1 sliced.
- DRESSING
- Raw Sunflower Seed Kernels– 1 cup soaked and rinsed
- Lemon Juice– 1 ½ tablespoons.
- Water- 2 cups room temperature.
- Olive Oil– 1 teaspoon.
- Garlic Powder– ½ to 1 teaspoon.
- Salt and Pepper as desired.
- Optional- Maple Syrup as needed to sweeten if desired.
Instructions
- Prepare the dressing as described in the recipe.
- Also, prepare the spinach and strawberries as described above (rinsing etc).
- Next, assemble the spinach, strawberries, and onions in a large salad serving bowl or individual sized salad bowls.
- Drizzle the dressing on top of the salad and toss. You will most likely not use all of the dressing in this recipe. You can store the remaining dressing in the refrigerator for up to a week, covered, and use again with salad or topping.
- Arrange the sliced avocado in the salad and serve immediately. You can season as desired.
Recipe Notes
Then you can rinse the spinach in running water and allow it to drain in a colander. To prepare the strawberries, rinse them under cool water and allow them to drain. Use a strawberry huller to scoop the hull from the strawberry. Alternatively, you can push a straw through the stem to push it out. Then cut the strawberries into bite sized pieces.
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Nutrition
Please note: Nutritional data has been calculated using a tool that comes with this recipe card and not by me. This means that Nutritional Information is only an estimate and can vary especially with ingredients that you use. The accuracy of this tool may differ from other tools as expected. Also note that there is no instructional value to the video that may be attached to this recipe. It is only there for visual pleasure. For more information about the images in this recipe, please refer the the recipe instructions. Thank you!
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