[Recipe] Final Four Strawberry Spinach Salad
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Sure, strawberries came out on top during Munch Madness, but the final four were so compatible, we thought it made perfect sense to combine them all for one healthy dish.
The ingredients are simple and cheap, so gather these up, toss it together and get munching!
Strawberry Spinach Salad with Almonds and Multi-grain Croutons (Serves 4)
What You Need
- 10-ounces fresh spinach
- 1 quart fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
- ¼ cup almonds, roasted and chopped
- 4 thick slices of stale or two-day old multi grain bread, cut into cubes
- ¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO), plus a tablespoon for the croutons
- 1 ½ Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- 2 Tbsp. grainy mustard
- Salt and pepper, to taste
What You Do
- In a large, heavy-bottomed skillet, drizzle the tablespoon of EVOO and heat over medium heat until the oil is shiny. Add the cubed, stale multi-grain bread and toss, adding salt and pepper to taste. Cook until golden brown.
- In small mixing bowl, whisk together the ¼ cup of EVOO, balsamic vinegar and mustard until emulsified (the mustard will combine the olive oil and vinegar so they don't separate). Add salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.
- In a large glass bowl, toss together the spinach, strawberries and almonds. Drizzle the dressing over and toss to coat.
- Serve on individual plates and top with croutons.
Add-ons
- Add crumbled feta cheese for a salty kick
- Reduce the balsamic vinegar with lemon juice and drizzle over the salad for a sweeter dressing
- Add a tablespoon of poppy seeds to the dressing mixture
- Toss the croutons with garlic salt or season salt
- Add goat cheese for texture and richness