Berry Feta Salad with Creamy Strawberry Poppy Seed Dressing bursting with fresh berries and adorned with CANDIED pistachios and feta is so easy, delicious and beautiful for company, it is sure to become a new favorite!
Is any one else having a heat wave?! Our AC broke a couple weeks ago – or more accurately, Patrick accidentally punctured a hole in our Freon line as he was hammering in a faux brick wall – so we have been without AC but with three fans running constantly (totally worth it for the wall though – I’ll post a pic to IG once its done). Needless to say, I am still all about the no bake, fresh, light summer foods – and some pumpkin and pasta thrown in here and there.
I posted a version of this Berry Feta Spinach Salad on RecipeGirl, but I wanted to mix it with some candied pistachios, extra feta and a silky Strawberry Poppy Seed Dressing!
In my opinion, every salad needs cheese and nuts just like every good nacho needs cheese and chips – its just mandatory. They are the hidden gems of salad and these salted, roasted, candied pistachios and the creamy, salty feta are the crowning jewels that perfectly balance the the sweet enveloping Creamy Strawberry Poppy Seed Dressing. I use my 5 Minute Caramelized Nuts Recipe for the Nuts so – you guessed it – they only take 5 minutes and are so worth it.
And Oh this dressing…
Deceptively simple, velvety, smooth, and sweet speckled with poppy seeds and sesame seeds with a base of strawberry yogurt. If a salad is only as good as its dressing – then this salad is deeeevine.
Refreshing Berry Feta Salad with Creamy Strawberry Poppy Seed Dressing so you can taste summer just a little longer.
Berry Feta Spinach Salad with Creamy Strawberry Poppy Seed Dressing
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
5 minutes
Servings 6
INGREDIENTS:
Berry Spinach Salad
* 10 cups baby spinach leaves
* 1/2 cup strawberries sliced**
* 1/2 cup blueberries
* 1/2 cup raspberries
* 1/2 red onion thinly sliced then quartered
* 1 sweet apple chopped or thinly sliced
* 1 Kiwi peeled, sliced and quartered (optional)
* Creamy Strawberry Poppy Seed Dressing
* 5.3 oz container strawberry yogurt
* 1/4 cup mayonnaise
* 2 Tbsps sour cream
* 2 Tbsps milk
* 3 Tbsps sugar
* 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
* 1 Tbsp poppy seeds
* 1 Tbsp sesame seeds
* 1/2 tsp dry minced onion flakes (optional)
* Garnishes
* 1/2 Recipe Caramelized roasted and salted pistachios
* 1/3 cup feta cheese crumbles
INSTRUCTIONS:
1- Caramelize pistachios according to directions. Set aside.*
2- Add all of the Strawberry Poppy Seed Dressing Ingredients (EXCEPT the poppy seeds and sesame seeds) to your blender; blend until smooth. Add poppy seeds and sesame seeds and pulse until combined. For a tangier dressing, add more vinegar, for sweeter, add more sugar. Add additional milk to thin if desired. Store in the refrigerator while you prepare salad.
3- Combine Spinach Salad ingredients in a large bowl and toss to combine. If serving entire salad immediately, drizzle with desired amount of dressing and toss to coat. If there might be leftovers, drizzle dressing on individual salad servings. Season with freshly ground salt and pepper to taste.
RECIPE NOTES:
*The Caramelized Nuts recipe is for 1 cup nuts. You can prepare 1 whole cup (because you will eat them!) or simply half all the ingredients.
**You can swap out the strawberries for raspberries to make this a winter in season salad too!
source: carlsbadcravings