Food and Recipes Dish Salad Strawberry-Spinach Salad Recipe 5.0 (1) 1 Review Nothing says "It's spring!' like a fresh strawberry and spinach salad. Served with grilled chicken, a pork tenderloin, or boiled shrimp, a strawberry and spinach salad are a light and easy way to add healthy fruit and vegetables to your menu. Spring is strawberry season and, since it is way too short, head to the farmers' markets and buy these juicy jewels by the pound and bake your favorite strawberry desserts. It's tempting to buy a box of the huge berries that flood the produce aisle of grocery stores during winter, but the out-of-season picks may look good, but they just don't deliver on taste. Strawberries harvested before they ripen might turn a bit more red after they are picked, but they will never get any sweeter. The key to the fruit's deliciousness? Give them time under the sun in the fields to ripen—from cap to tip—and develop its unmistakable scent. When selecting berries, aroma, not color, is a sure sign of good flavor, so follow your nose to find the cream of the crop. If you don't use all the berries immediately, it is a good idea to freeze strawberries so you can enjoy a taste of spring in the middle of winter. Just before freezing, gently wash berries in cool water, and pat them dry with paper towels. Remove and discard stems, leaves, and any under-ripe or damaged fruit. For a quick freeze, place whole berries in a single layer on a jelly-roll pan; freeze until firm. Pack into zip-top plastic freezer bags, leaving 1-inch headspace. Squeeze out excess air; seal and freeze up to 8 months. By Southern Living Test Kitchen Southern Living Test Kitchen The Southern Living Test Kitchen has been publishing recipes since 1970, four years after the first issue of Southern Living Magazine appeared on newsstands. The Southern Living Test Kitchen team includes a team of professionals with deep expertise in recipe development, from pastry chefs and grilling experts to nutritionists and dietitians. Together, the team tests and retests, produces, styles, and photographs thousands of recipes each year in the state-of-the-art test kitchen facility located in Birmingham, Alabama. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on March 23, 2020 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Active Time: 15 mins Total Time: 15 mins Yield: 10 serves Ingredients 1 small Vidalia onion, chopped (1/2 cup) 1/2 cup light olive oil 3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon plus 2 tsp. granulated sugar 1 tablespoon mayonnaise 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1 (10-oz.) pkg. fresh spinach 1 pound fresh strawberries, stemmed and halved (2 1/2 cups) 4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled (about 1 cup) 1 cup chopped candied pecans Directions Process onion, oil, vinegar, sugar, mayonnaise, mustard, and salt in a blender until creamy and smooth, about 50 seconds. Arrange spinach, strawberries, blue cheese, and pecans on a large platter. Drizzle with dressing. Rate it Print