Strawberry spinach salad with feta & fried rosemary

A strawberry spinach salad with feta on a plate, on a summer picnic table

No ratings yet

Strawberry spinach salad with feta & fried rosemary

Flavorful, seasonal strawberries are the main ingredient in this strawberry spinach salad, complimented with a creamy avocado peppercorn dressing and fried rosemary.

Prep Time15

Cook Time10

Total Time25

Servings:

Calories: 427kcal

Ingredients

Salad

5 ounces baby spinach
1 pint strawberries (about ¾ pound)
3 ounces feta cheese
¼ cup pine nuts
4 sprigs rosemary
1 T olive oil for frying

Avocado peppercorn dressing

¼ avocado
3 T freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 lemon
2 T water
1 T olive oil
½ teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
Pinch salt 1/16th - ⅛th tsp

Instructions

For the salad

Toast the nuts: Heat a small frying pan over medium. Add pine nuts to the dry, hot pan. Let them sit for a minute, then stir. Keep an eye on them as they cook. They should be perfectly golden after just a few minutes. Transfer pine nuts to a plate to cool.
Fry the rosemary:
Prepare by setting aside a paper towel lined plate and a slotted spoon to fish out the rosemary quickly! Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the same skillet on medium-high. Once hot, add the rosemary - if adding whole, press down to fry them, flip after 10-20 seconds. If adding loose leave, stir constantly for 30 seconds to 1 minute. They are done when they are just starting to brown and crisp up. (If they turn dark brown, they will likely taste bitter.) Transfer to a paper-towel lined plate and immediately sprinkle with salt. Let cool.
Set aside pan with oil still in it - use it for the dressing.
Assemble the salad:
Add spinach to bowl and toss with dressing. Season with salt if needed. Top with strawberries, feta, pine nuts, and fried rosemary.

For the dressing (makes enough for 2 salads)

Heat the pan with the rosemary-frying oil to medium. Add cracked pepper and cook for a few minutes to intensify the black pepper's flavor. Set aside to cool briefly.
In a food processor, combine the avocado, lemon juice, oil with cracked pepper, and salt. Process until smooth. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time to thin down (or extra lemon juice if you want a more up-front lemony flavor). Taste and season with salt as needed.

Notes

Substitutions:

Replace pine nuts with pecans or walnuts
Replace feta cheese with goat cheese
Add arugula for some (or all) of the spinach for a more peppery bite

Scan QR code for full recipe page with images & more helpful tips

Nutrition