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    Home / Recipes / Salads / Strawberry Spinach Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

    Strawberry Spinach Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

    August 13, 2021 by Keto Cooking Christian 2 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, see Disclosure.
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    Gloriously sweet strawberries, creamy feta cheese and a homemade balsamic vinaigrette over a bed of tender baby spinach makes one irresistible salad!

    Strawberry Spinach Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette in wooden bowl strawberries in background

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    Strawberry spinach salad is such a great way to bring in all the flavors of summer. The sweetness of the berries and the tartness of the feta lends the most incredible combination of flavors.

    Strawberry Spinach Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette being spooned over top

    For added yumminess, roasted pecans give the salad the perfect crunch factor.

    Between the mouth-watering homemade balsamic vinaigrette and all the wonderful textures of this salad, your taste buds are just going to flip with the very first bite!

    closeup of Strawberry Spinach Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette on top

    This recipe was inspired my friend Rae Marie in my church's women's Bible study group. Spinach and strawberry salad makes a fantastic, quick and easy lunch or it can be served as a fantastic Keto side salad. Either way, you've simply just HAVE to give it a try.

    What's in Strawberry Spinach Salad with Feta

    • Baby spinach
    • Strawberries
    • Feta cheese
    • Pecans
    • Red onion
    • Balsamic reduction
    • Light olive oil
    • Sugar free apricot jam
    • Dijon mustard
    • Salt
    • Pepper

    *Exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below.

    What's in Spinach Strawberry Salad

    Add all of the dressing ingredients to the bowl of a mini chopper and blend until well combined, then set aside.

    balsamic vinaigrette ingredients in chopper bowl

    Pour the pecans onto a baking sheet and roast for 8 minutes @325°F for 8 minutes or until they are lightly toasted.

    pecan halves on baking sheet

    Allow them to cool, then chop them up.

    chopped pecans on cutting board with knife

    Add the spinach to a large bowl, then add the sliced strawberries over the top. Add the onions and pecans over the top.

    Strawberry Spinach Salad in wooden bowl

    Pour the balsamic vinaigrette over the top right before serving.

    Note: Using the balsamic reduction is important for the dressing.  If you use regular balsamic vinegar that hasn't been reduced first, you will get a much thinner dressing and it won't be as rich and sweet.  I definitely recommend taking the time to reduce it first.

    Strawberry Spinach Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette in wooden bowl with balsamic dressing being poured on top

    Is Spinach Keto? What are the Benefits of Spinach?

    Spinach is an extremely healthy and nutrient dense vegetable. We all remember how Popeye got his big muscles by popping opening and gobbling down a can of spinach, right? It's no wonder why! Spinach provides high amounts of carotenoids, vitamin C, vitamin K, folic acid, iron, and calcium.

    And not only is it healthy, almost all the carbs in spinach come from fiber. That's especially the case with raw spinach. There's less than 1 net carb in raw spinach making it PERFECT for Keto or any low carb diet.

    More Keto Spinach Recipes

    • Spinach Artichoke Chicken Casserole
    • Easy Creamed Spinach
    • Salmon Piccata with Spinach
    • Italian Sausage and Spinach Quiche
    spinach in wooden bowl

    Variations for Strawberry Spinach Salad

    • Use your favorite low carb nut: Pecans and walnuts are my personal favorites, but you can use slivered almond, pine nuts or even pumpkin seeds if you prefer.
    • Extra berries are always great: If you have extra summer berries, add them in right along with the strawberries. In fact, I often add a few blueberries in this salad and they work so well with the other flavors. Be mindful that berries do have carbs, so you'll want to add them sparingly.
    • Not a fan of feta cheese? That is perfectly okay. Keeping with the flavor profile of this salad, you can certainly substitute goat cheese in its place.
    • Need a heartier meal? You can always make this spinach salad a complete meal by adding shredded chicken or shrimp. You can use leftover roasted chicken like this Instant Pot Roasted Chicken or you can use rotisserie chicken.
    closeup overhead view of Strawberry Spinach Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

    Other Uses for Sugar-Free Apricot Jam

    You'll notice that this recipe uses a sugar-free apricot jam from Good Good. If you're on the fence about giving it a try, let me encourage you to do so.

    It's by far the best sugar-free jam I've tasted. I like to use it as a Keto substitute for honey to thicken and add sweetness to homemade salad dressings.

    jar of Good Good apricot jam with some being spooned out

    And if you're wondering what you should do with the remaining jam in the jar, here are some awesome ideas that will put it to delicious use:

    • Using apricot jam in a vinaigrette dressing, like in this recipe, is so tasty. If you like the sweet and tangy flavor, you may also enjoy this Sugar Free Apricot Vinaigrette recipe. It is especially good on this Grilled Shrimp Salad.
    • The sweetness in the jam is fabulous with bacon. Yep, bacon! Give it a try with these Grilled Bacon Wrapped Asparagus bundles. They have a apricot glaze that sends them right over the top! Or use in this Easy Hot Bacon Dressing over a spinach salad or with Brussels Sprouts.
    • I absolutely love a summertime berry medley. You can take some of this jam and thin it out with a little water and simple syrup made with Swerve or Allulose and drizzle over a bowl of berries. It makes a super easy dessert everyone will love.
    • Last but not least, in its simplest form, Sugar-Free Apricot Jam served with homemade Keto Biscuits is so good, you won't even miss traditional jam.
    Strawberry Spinach Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette on top

    More Keto Salads

    • Caprese Salad with Balsamic Reduction
    • Keto " Big Mac" Cheeseburger Salad
    • Asian Grilled Chicken Salad
    • Buffalo Chicken Salad
    • Keto Taco Salad
    • Classic Cobb with Ranch Dressing
    Strawberry Spinach Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette Pin
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    overhead view of strawberry spinach salad with dressing on top

    Strawberry Spinach Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

    Gloriously sweet strawberries, creamy feta cheese and a homemade balsamic vinaigrette over a bed of tender baby spinach makes one irresistible salad!
    Print Pin SaveSaved! Rate
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Total Time 10 mins
    Author: Julianne
    Course: Salad
    Calories: 178
    Servings: 6

    INGREDIENTS

    For the Spinach Salad

    • 10 ounces baby spinach
    • 1 cup fresh strawberries, sliced
    • ⅔ cup feta cheese, crumbled
    • ½ cup pecans

    For the Balsamic Vinaigrette

    • ¼ cup balsamic reduction
    • ¼ cup light olive oil
    • 2 tablespoons sugar free apricot jam
    • 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
    • pinch of salt and pepper

    INSTRUCTIONS

    • Add all of the dressing ingredients to the bowl of a mini chopper and blend until well combined, then set aside.
    • Pour the pecans onto a baking sheet and roast for 8 minutes @325°F for 8 minutes or until they are lightly toasted. Allow them to cool, then chop them up.
    • Add the spinach to a large bowl, then add the sliced strawberries over the top.
    • Add the onions and pecans over the top.
    • Pour the balsamic vinaigrette over the top right before serving.

    RECIPE NOTES

    Using the balsamic reduction is important for the dressing.  If you use regular balsamic vinegar that hasn't been reduced first, you will get a much thinner dressing and it won't be as rich and sweet.  I definitely recommend taking the time to reduce it first.  
    If you don't like feta cheese, you can substitute with goat cheese.
    If you don't like pecans, you can substitute with walnuts, almond or pine nuts, just be sure to roast them first so they have more flavor.
    If you don't like strawberries, you can use any other berry that you like instead.
    Share on Instagramand tag @ketocookingchristian

    © Copyright for Keto Cooking Christian LLC. Please use the share buttons to share on social media, but please do not copy/paste the recipe.

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    Nutrition Facts
    Strawberry Spinach Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 178 Calories from Fat 180
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 20g31%
    Saturated Fat 4g25%
    Carbohydrates 7g2%
    Fiber 2g8%
    Sugar 4g4%
    Protein 5g10%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    *Nutritional data is provided as a courtesy and is accurate to the best of my knowledge. You can verify it using the nutrition calculator of your choice. All data is based on net carbs, without sugar alcohol- Swerve, Erythritol, Allulose, or Monk Fruit.

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    Filed Under: 30 Minutes or Less, Posts, Recipes, Salads, Salads and Dressings

    Bible verse of the day

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    Luke 6:37

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    Comments

    1. Heidi A. Nuttall

      October 10, 2021 at 7:10 am

      I just ordered some SF Apricot jam from Amazon, but need to make this salad today. Any other suggestions for sweeteners?

      Reply
      • Keto Cooking Christian

        October 11, 2021 at 9:39 am

        You can use any Keto friendly sugar free jam you can find at the grocery store. If you can not find any, you can use a little of which ever sugar substitute, like Swerve, Monk fruit or Allulose, you normally use until your Amazon order arrives.

        Reply

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    Julianne Walser KCC

    I'm Julianne, welcome! I offer tasty and indulgent Keto and Low Carb recipes that will never leave you feeling deprived!

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