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Summary
A fruity vibrant salad dressing that is deceptively healthy – because it tastes so good.
Strawberry Spinach Salads, while delicious, typically comes with some guilt, due to the vast amount of sugar and seed oils in the dressing. So we set out to redeem it, making this a guilt free salad that doesn’t sacrifice on ANYTHING flavor wise.
We dialed in the balance of sweetness and acidity and bring the berries into the dressing, so you get that strawberry flavor in every bite. It’s got that gourmet bistro feel. Plus, it only takes 10 minutes to make.
4
servings10
minutes2
minutes265
kcal10
minutesA fruity vibrant salad dressing that is deceptively healthy – because it tastes so good.
Ingredients
160 g 8 cups baby spinach, loosely packed, stemmed
360 g 2 1/2 cups strawberries, stemmed and thinly sliced (about 24 berries)
50 g 4 tbsp allulose or sugar
16 g 1 tbsp honey
0.6 g 1/4 tsp paprika
1.4 g 1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
40 g 4 tbsp avocado oil
23 g 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
12 g 4 tsp sesame seeds
10 g 1 tbsp poppy seeds
80 g | 1/2 cup roasted salted pecans, broken into pieces
56 g 1/4 cup goat cheese, crumbled
2 g 1/2 tsp kosher salt + more for pecans if needed
0.4 g 1/4 tsp black pepper
Directions
Before We Start
Why blend strawberries into the dressing? Blending some of the strawberries into the dressing helps emulsify it and gives the whole salad a subtle berry brightness without having to get a strawberry in every bite. If you’re not blending, no worries—just leave all the berries in the salad and whisk the rest.
Allulose vs Sugar: This is a healthy and natural, low-calorie sweetener. It adds sweetness while making it a guilt-free dish. If substituting with regular sugar, reduce the amount slightly—use about 1.5 tbsp for every 2 tbsp of allulose or just replace with more honey.
Pecans: You can either use pre-roasted and salted pecans or raw ones.Toast the pecans (optional)
If using raw pecans, you will want to toast them to bring out their best flavor, if using pre-toasted pecans, you can skip this step.
Place pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat with a pinch (1/8 tsp) of kosher salt. Cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring often, until they smell fragrant and begin to deepen in color. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.Prep the strawberries
Core and Thinly slice all the strawberries into about 1/8 in slices and reserve 50 g (about 12-16 slices) to blend in the dressing.Make the dressing
Using a stick blender or small blender, combine the allulose, honey, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, avocado oil, 1/2 tsp salt, black pepper, and 50 g of the strawberry slices. Blend until smooth and emulsified.
If you have chunks of strawberry in the dressing after blending, you can pass the dressing through a fine mesh strainer to remove them.
Once blended or combined, add the poppy seeds and sesame seeds and mix into the dressing with a whisk or spoon.
If you don’t want to blend the dressing simply whisk together all the ingredients and just add all the strawberry slices to the salad instead, then pour over the salad. We think the extra step is worth it, but sometimes, you just want things to go a little faster with a few less dishes to clean, so we hear you!Assemble the Salad
In a large salad bowl add the spinach. Then the strawberries and pecans and lightly toss.Finish and serve
Drizzle the dressing over the salad just before serving. Then give it a light mix and
sprinkle with crumbled goat cheese over the top and enjoy.
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Additional Details About This Recipe
Can I make it ahead?
Yes—the dressing keeps up to 3 days in the fridge. Shake or stir before using. Assemble fresh just before serving.
Best substitutions?
Try arugula instead of spinach, raspberries instead of strawberries, or olive oil in place of avocado oil.
What makes this better than other versions?
This strawberry vinaigrette is made with real fruit, sweetened without refined sugar, uses no seed oils, and clings beautifully to the leaves.
Where to find allulose?
Most natural grocery stores carry it. You can also find it on Amazon.
Can I make it dairy-free?
Yes! Just leave out the goat cheese. In fact our first version of this didn’t have cheese or nuts. The richness is nice, but the salad still sings without it.
Where to find allulose?
Most natural grocery stores carry it. You can also find it on Amazon.
Can I make it dairy-free?
Yes! Just leave out the goat cheese. In fact our first version of this didn’t have cheese or nuts. The richness is nice, but the salad still sings without it.
Nutritional Facts
Per serving
- Calories: 265
- Total Fat: 21g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g
- Monounsaturated Fat: 11g
- Cholesterol: 5mg
- Sodium: 160mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 16g
- Dietary Fiber: 5g
- Sugars: 8g (including natural fruit + honey)
- Protein: 5g
- Micronutrients (Estimates)
- Vitamin C: 65% DV
- Vitamin A: 35% DV
- Calcium: 8% DV
- Iron: 10% DV
- Magnesium: 15% DV
- Potassium: 400mg
Awesome !!!!!
!
Great recipe!
Thank you! Hope you are well old friend.