An Ultimate Recipe of Fresh Strawberry Spinach Salad

Instructions

1. Prepare the Ingredients: First wash and dry the fresh spinach really well. You can use a salad spinner to shake off the water or just pat dry with a clean towel. Frame and slice those strawberries into thin pieces. Then thinly slice the red onion for a mild, crisp bite. Toast the pecans or walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 2-3 minutes, stirring until they are golden brown and smell yummy. Let them cool.
2. Assemble the Salad: Grab a big salad bowl and mix together the spinach, sliced strawberries, and red onions. Sprinkle on those toasted nuts, add some crumbled feta cheese, and add dried cranberries for extra sweet kicks.
3. Make the Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey or maple syrup, and Dijon mustard until it’s all combined well. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to taste it right. You can improve the sweetness or tangyness by adding more honey or vinegar based on your liking.
4. Dress the Salad: Right before serving time, drizzle that dressing over your salad and gently toss so everything gets coated evenly.
5. Serve: Serve up this strawberry spinach pasta. It goes great as a side dish with grilled chicken or fish or even as a light lunch all on its own.

Tips and Variations:

1. Add Protein: To make it more filling, add some grilled chicken, shrimp, or baked tofu for protein. Or add quinoa or chickpeas if you need vegetarian protein.
2. Make it Vegan: If you want this completely vegan, then skip feta cheese; you can use plant-based cheese instead. And maple syrup instead of honey in your dressing.
3. Different Nuts: While pecans and walnuts are classic choices here, feel free to swap them out. Try almonds, cashews, or even sunflower seeds for different crunchy vibes.
4. Cheese Substitutes: You could use goat cheese or blue cheese; both add tangier flavor. Just skip it altogether or go with non-dairy kind.
5. Fruit Variations: Strawberries add sweetness, but feel free to switch things up by tossing blueberries, raspberries, or even slices of apple or pear if you are feeling fall flavors.
6. Nutrient Boost: Increase nutrients by adding avocado slices, chia seeds, or hemp seeds; they bring healthy fats and fiber while increasing texture too.
7. Dressing Variations: Use balsamic vinegar with lemon juice to make things more citrusy or toss in orange zest to shake up refreshing twists.

Nutrition Information (Per Serving—Based on 4 servings):

• Calories: You will get 220 calories with this meal.
• Protein: An amount of 5 g of protein is obtained with this meal, in which protein is very important for muscle repair and growth.
• Fat: An amount of 19 g is served, which helps you to keep on the diet track.
• Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates are the fuel source of the brain; here, 16 g of carbohydrates is obtained.
• Sugars: A 9 g of sugar is contained here depending on the fruits and honey used.
• Fiber: 4 g of fiber is obtained here.
• Cholesterol: 95 mg of cholesterol is gained here.
• Sodium: 22 g of sodium is used.