Tasty Easter Spinach Salad

Here is my favorite Easter spinach salad recipe, with a sweet poppy seed dressing, fresh strawberries, toasted almonds, and crumbled feta cheese over tender spinach leaves.

This salad has become our go-to dish for Easter brunch and spring gatherings. The combination of juicy strawberries with the tangy feta and crunchy almonds makes it disappear fast, so I always make extra. It’s one of those recipes that looks fancy but comes together in about 15 minutes!

What Kind of Spinach Should I Use?

For this salad, baby spinach is your best bet since it’s tender, mild, and doesn’t require any chopping or stem removal. Regular spinach works too, but you’ll want to remove those thick stems and tear the larger leaves into bite-sized pieces before tossing. Fresh is definitely the way to go here – skip the frozen stuff since we’re making a salad, not a cooked side dish. Look for spinach that’s bright green without any wilted or slimy leaves, and give it a good rinse before using since spinach can be pretty gritty.

Options for Substitutions

This fresh salad is easy to customize based on what you have in your kitchen:

• Spinach: Baby spinach works best for this salad, but you can use mixed greens, arugula, or even romaine lettuce if that’s what you have on hand. Just keep in mind that heartier greens like romaine may need a bit more dressing.
• Strawberries: When strawberries aren’t in season, try using sliced peaches, mandarin oranges, or dried cranberries. Fresh blueberries or raspberries also pair nicely with the poppy seed dressing.
• Almonds: Feel free to swap almonds with pecans, walnuts, or candied nuts for extra sweetness. You can also toast them lightly in a pan to bring out more flavor.
• Vinegar: White vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or red wine vinegar all work well in this dressing. Each will give you a slightly different flavor profile, but they’re all good options.
• Sesame seeds and poppy seeds: If you’re missing one or the other, you can use just sesame seeds or just poppy seeds – the dressing will still taste great. In a pinch, leave them out entirely.
• Sugar: You can reduce the sugar to 1/3 cup if you prefer a less sweet dressing, or substitute with honey (use slightly less, about 1/3 cup).

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake with this salad is adding the dressing too early, which causes the spinach to wilt and become soggy – always wait until right before serving to toss everything together.

Wet strawberries are another culprit for a watery salad, so make sure to pat them completely dry after washing and slice them just before assembling to prevent excess moisture from diluting your dressing.

To keep your almonds from getting soft and losing their crunch, toast them lightly in a dry pan for a few minutes before adding them to the salad, and if you’re making this ahead, store the dressing, greens, and toppings separately until the last minute.

One more tip: if your dressing seems too thick after chilling, let it sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes and give it a good whisk before pouring it over your salad.

What to Serve With Easter Spinach Salad?

This spinach salad with its sweet poppy seed dressing and fresh strawberries is perfect alongside grilled chicken breasts or salmon fillets for a complete spring meal. I love serving it at Easter brunch with quiche or a ham, since the fruity sweetness balances out savory main dishes really nicely. If you’re looking for something lighter, pair it with a simple pasta salad or some crusty dinner rolls. The salad also works great as a side for barbecue dishes like grilled pork chops or even as a starter before a heavier pasta dinner.

Storage Instructions

Store Components Separately: Keep the dressing in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to a week, and it actually tastes better after the flavors have time to blend together. Store the washed and dried spinach in the crisper drawer, and keep the strawberries unwashed in their container until you’re ready to use them.

Prep Ahead: You can make the dressing up to 5 days in advance, which is great for Easter brunch planning. Toast the almonds ahead of time too and keep them in an airtight container at room temperature. Just don’t toss the salad until right before serving, or the spinach will get wilted and sad.

Leftover Salad: If you’ve already mixed everything together, the dressed salad won’t keep well since the spinach gets soggy. But any undressed spinach and strawberries can go back in the fridge for a day or two, and you can always make a fresh batch with the leftover dressing.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 1100-1250
• Protein: 15-18 g
• Fat: 70-80 g
• Carbohydrates: 110-130 g

Ingredients

For the dressing:

• 0.33 cup sugar
• 0.5 cup olive oil (I prefer Bertolli Extra Virgin for a smooth taste)
• 0.33 cup vinegar
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds (toasted in a dry pan for better aroma)
• 1 tbsp poppy seeds
• 1 tbsp onion (finely minced to 1/8-inch pieces)
• 0.33 tsp paprika
• 0.25 tsp worcestershire sauce (I always use Lea & Perrins)

For the salad:

• 32 oz strawberries (sliced into 1/4-inch rounds)
• 9 oz spinach
• 0.25 cup almonds (slivered and toasted for extra crunch)
• 0.25 cup crumbled feta cheese

Step 1: Toast the Seeds and Almonds for Maximum Flavor

• 2 tbsp sesame seeds
• 0.25 cup almonds

Place the sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat and toast for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently until fragrant and lightly golden.

Transfer to a small bowl.

In the same skillet, toast the slivered almonds for 3-4 minutes until they’re golden and aromatic, then set aside.

I always toast these separately from the seeds to control each one’s doneness—sesame seeds can burn quickly, while almonds need a bit longer.

Let both cool for a few minutes before using.

Step 2: Build the Vinaigrette Dressing

• 0.33 cup sugar
• 0.5 cup olive oil
• 0.33 cup vinegar
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds
• 1 tbsp poppy seeds
• 1 tbsp onion
• 0.33 tsp paprika
• 0.25 tsp worcestershire sauce

In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, olive oil, vinegar, toasted sesame seeds, poppy seeds, finely minced onion, paprika, and Worcestershire sauce until well combined.

The dressing will emulsify slightly as you whisk.

For a smoother, more integrated dressing, I like to let it sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes so the flavors meld—this is actually more practical than chilling for a full hour, and you’ll get better flavor development.

Step 3: Prepare the Salad Components

• 32 oz strawberries
• 9 oz spinach
• 0.25 cup almonds

Slice the strawberries into 1/4-inch rounds and place in a large serving bowl.

Add the fresh spinach and the toasted almonds from Step 1.

Gently toss these ingredients together to distribute evenly.

Don’t dress the salad yet—we want to keep the spinach crisp until the last moment before serving.

Step 4: Dress and Finish the Salad

• dressing from Step 2
• salad components from Step 3
• 0.25 cup crumbled feta cheese

Pour the dressing from Step 2 over the salad and toss gently but thoroughly, making sure each spinach leaf and strawberry is coated.

Sprinkle the crumbled feta cheese over the top and give it one more gentle toss to incorporate.

Refrigerate for 10-15 minutes before serving—this allows the flavors to meld while keeping the salad fresh and crisp.

Tasty Easter Spinach Salad

Delicious Tasty Easter Spinach Salad recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Servings 6 servings

Calories 1175 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the dressing::

• 0.33 cup sugar
• 0.5 cup olive oil (I prefer Bertolli Extra Virgin for a smooth taste)
• 0.33 cup vinegar
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds (toasted in a dry pan for better aroma)
• 1 tbsp poppy seeds
• 1 tbsp onion (finely minced to 1/8-inch pieces)
• 0.33 tsp paprika
• 0.25 tsp worcestershire sauce (I always use Lea & Perrins)

For the salad::

• 32 oz strawberries (sliced into 1/4-inch rounds)
• 9 oz spinach
• 0.25 cup almonds (slivered and toasted for extra crunch)
• 0.25 cup crumbled feta cheese

Instructions

 

• Place the sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat and toast for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently until fragrant and lightly golden. Transfer to a small bowl. In the same skillet, toast the slivered almonds for 3-4 minutes until they're golden and aromatic, then set aside. I always toast these separately from the seeds to control each one's doneness—sesame seeds can burn quickly, while almonds need a bit longer. Let both cool for a few minutes before using.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, olive oil, vinegar, toasted sesame seeds, poppy seeds, finely minced onion, paprika, and Worcestershire sauce until well combined. The dressing will emulsify slightly as you whisk. For a smoother, more integrated dressing, I like to let it sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes so the flavors meld—this is actually more practical than chilling for a full hour, and you'll get better flavor development.
• Slice the strawberries into 1/4-inch rounds and place in a large serving bowl. Add the fresh spinach and the toasted almonds from Step 1. Gently toss these ingredients together to distribute evenly. Don't dress the salad yet—we want to keep the spinach crisp until the last moment before serving.
• Pour the dressing from Step 2 over the salad and toss gently but thoroughly, making sure each spinach leaf and strawberry is coated. Sprinkle the crumbled feta cheese over the top and give it one more gentle toss to incorporate. Refrigerate for 10-15 minutes before serving—this allows the flavors to meld while keeping the salad fresh and crisp.