Strawberry, spinach and feta salad

Fresh, easy, complete and delicious, this salad has it all! The combination of the freshness and sweetness of the strawberries contrasts with the intensity of the feta cheese, and all this is seasoned with a Modena and honey vinaigrette that is very easy to make and that enhances the flavor of the strawberries even more.

If I have already convinced you, you should know that all this is also accompanied by nuts, arugula, a touch of mustard... Complete and complementary ingredients that go together wonderfully.

I hope you are encouraged to try this salad so fresh, colorful and tasty . It will refresh you and bring smiles to any hot day!

Ingredients

For the spinach and strawberry salad:

• 200 gr of fresh spinach
• 50 gr of arugula
• 1/2 sweet or red onion (half a small onion, or 1/4 a large onion)
• 35g of strawberries
• 130 gr of feta cheese
• 90 g toasted pecans (or California walnuts)
• Mint leaves (optional, to decorate and refresh the dish even more).

*Instead of spinach and arugula salad, if you prefer you can use only 250 gr of spinach.

For the Modena and honey dressing:

• 70ml balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 1/2 tablespoons poppy seeds (optional)

Preparation

1. Chop the onion very small and leave it in a bowl with water, to soften its flavor.
2. Prepare the dressing: in the manual chopper (for these vinaigrettes the Ingenio chopper ), add all the dressing ingredients and mix until smooth.
3. Chop the walnuts (you can also do it at the Ingenio), cut into tiny cubes or crumble the feta cheese and drain the onion.
4. Cut the strawberries in half or quarters if they are large.
5. Let's assemble the salad: in a large salad bowl, arrange the spinach and arugula taking up as much space as possible, add the onion (distributing it over all the green leaves) and distribute the strawberries. Then add the feta cheese, crumbling it or spreading it over the entire surface as well, and sprinkle the chopped walnuts on top.
6. With a spoon, dress the salad with a little of the vinaigrette that you have prepared, and reserve the rest in a bowl that you can serve next to the salad so that each guest can finish dressing to their liking.

Grades

• If you have recently washed the spinach or strawberries, it is important to dry them well before preparing the salad, otherwise it will be watery and lose intensity.
• It is an ideal recipe for the strawberry season! This recipe is certainly interesting in spring and early summer, when strawberries are at their best.
• If you want to make a vinaigrette without mustard but similar, you can simply mix oil, Modena vinegar, honey and a pinch of salt. Combine everything and ready to dress the salad!
• If you want to turn this first course into a unique dish, you can add strips of battered chicken, believe me it fits stupendously.
• Serve it with a few slices of bread: I love to pass it around the plate to enjoy it with what is left of that delicious vinaigrette.
• You will find a large number of bowls and salad bowls in the salad bowls section .