Strawberry Spinach Salad

Ingredients

• ●6 ounces baby spinach
• ●2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
• ●½ cup pecans, roughly chopped
• ●3 ounces soft goat cheese, crumbled
• ●¼ small red onion, thinly sliced
• ●*Poppy Seed Dressing:**
• ●¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ●2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• ●1 tablespoon honey
• ●1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ●1½ teaspoons poppy seeds
• ●Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Make the dressing: Whisk together the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, and poppy seeds until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Toast the pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, tossing occasionally, until fragrant and lightly browned. Watch them — they go from toasted to burnt fast. Let cool.
3. In a large bowl, combine the spinach, strawberries, red onion, and pecans.
4. Drizzle with the dressing and toss gently to coat. You don't need all the dressing — add it gradually until the greens are lightly glistening.
5. Scatter the crumbled goat cheese over the top. Serve immediately.
6. *Storage:** Dress just before serving. The components keep separately for a day.
7. *Seasonal note:** When strawberries are truly in season — local, sun-ripened, fragrant — they need almost nothing. This salad is at its best in those few weeks. Out of season, use the best-looking strawberries you can find and let them sit at room temperature for an hour before slicing.