This Whole30 Strawberry Spinach Salad with Creamy Poppyseed Dressing is so incredibly easy and delicious! It’s full of bright colors and flavors that make it perfect for any event or for a quick dinner side. 

Why We Love This Strawberry Spinach Salad

First, we love that it is Whole30, Paleo, gluten-free, dairy-free, with nut-free, Vegan, plant-based and egg-free options!  An allergen-friendly recipe to meet your family’s dietary needs. 

Second, it’s very quick and easy to make. If you use store-bought mayo, you can make it in 10 minutes. Alternatively, you can save money and make it more budget-friendly by making my Whole30 Mayo from scratch in 5 minutes. 

Third, it looks beautiful, without a lot of work! This salad is lovely – with bright complimentary colors and fresh berries. It would be perfect for a Mother’s Day brunch or dinner, baby shower, wedding side, or any other nice event. 

Fourth, it has an EASY creamy poppyseed dressing that you will just love! It uses only 4 ingredients and takes only 5 minutes to whisk together. With no refined sugar and only sweetened by dates, it is also Whole30 and Paleo compatible. Yes!

Ingredients

Salad Ingredients

• Spinach or other Mixed Greens – You can stick with the classics and use spinach for this salad. Or, you can also use mixed greens or some other combination of greens like baby arugula, spring mix, green leaf lettuce, etc. I feel it pairs better with these greens than romaine or iceberg.
• Fresh strawberries – You can slice these in whatever way you prefer. Rinse and slice before adding to salad.
• Fresh blueberries – We loved blueberries in this salad! The color, flavor, and texture really added to the salad. But, you can swap out for blackberries as desired.
• Pecans – Whole pecans give such a lovely crunch to this salad. But, if you need a substitute, you can swap out another nut like walnuts or almonds. NEED NUT-FREE? Use another kind of seed like sunflower seeds instead.
• Pepitas – The crunch and saltiness roasted pepitas add is so perfect in this salad. If you are on a Whole30, make sure your pepitas are Whole30 compatible, such as these from Walmart. Or, if you can’t find pepitas, you can also swap out roasted sunflower seeds instead. 

Dressing Ingredients

• Mayo – I keep this budget-friendly by starting the dressing with a batch of my 5-Ingredient Whole30 Mayo. But, you can also buy a Whole30 compatible mayo such as this one from Primal Kitchen for a more convenient option. NEED EGG-FREE OR VEGAN OPTION? Start with an eggless mayo. Here is one from Primal Kitchen that is Whole30 + Vegan or, if you are not on a Whole30, you can find a Vegan mayo such as this one from Walmart.
• Date Paste – This is a natural and Whole30 compatible way (yes, I am sure ; ) to add a touch of sweetness to a dressing. You simply start by soaking pitted dates in hot water and then blend into a paste. Blending it to a paste first helps prevent large chunks of dates in your dressing. See recipe below for a basic way to make Date Paste.
• Poppyseeds – These can be found in the spice aisle of most grocery stores. Here is one you can find easily at Walmart. 
• Apple cider vinegar 

How to Make Strawberry Spinach Salad

• First, in a large salad bowl combine spinach, sliced strawberries, blueberries, pecans, and pepitas.
• In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the mayo, date paste, poppyseeds, and apple cider vinegar. If you want a thinner dressing, feel free to add 1-2 tablespoons dairy-free milk of choice until it reaches your desired consistency.
• Add dressing just before serving. Toss well and serve. 

Table of Contents

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Strawberry Spinach Salad with Creamy Poppyseed Dressing

Autumn @wholefoodfor7

A Whole30 + Paleo recipe for a beautiful quick and EASY salad. Includes nut-free and vegan options.

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 0 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 8 people

Calories 281 kcal

1/2x1x2x3x

Ingredients

 

Salad Ingredients

• 10 ounces baby spinach or other mixed greens
• 1 pounds strawberries sliced
• 1 cup blueberries
• 3/4 cup raw pecans can sub another nut or seed of choice
• 1/2 cup pepitas can sub sunflower seeds

Dressing Ingredients

• 1 cup mayo store-bought or homemade, see notes for vegan
• 8 large dates for date paste, see recipe below
• 2 teaspoons poppyseeds
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Instructions

 

• In a large salad bowl, combine all salad ingredients.
• MAKE DATE PASTE (for Whole30, if using): Combine dates and 1/2 c hot water in a blender or food processor and let sit for 1 minute. I usually press them down into the water a bit to ensure they are all soaking. Blend/process for 30 seconds, or until smooth.

  Store any remaining date paste in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
• In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the mayo, 3 tablespoons date paste, poppyseeds, and apple cider vinegar. If you want a thinner dressing, feel free to add 1-2 tablespoons dairy-free milk of choice until it reaches your desired consistency.
• Drizzle about half of the dressing over the salad. You want the spinach leaves moist but not drowning in dressing. Add a little more dressing if desired. Toss lightly to combine, and serve immediately.
• Store any leftover dressing in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 2 weeks.

Notes

See "Ingredient" section of the blog post above for substitutions and favorite products. 

MAKE IT A MEAL: Add grilled chopped chicken and sliced avocado to make this a meal for lunch or dinner!

Nutrition

Calories: 281kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 5gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 10gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.03gCholesterol: 6mgSodium: 137mgPotassium: 472mgFiber: 5gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 3377IUVitamin C: 49mgCalcium: 72mgIron: 2mg

Keyword budget-friendly, dairy-free, easy, egg-free, gluten-free, nut-free, paleo, plant-based, vegan, whole30

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!