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Spinach and Strawberry Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

By Diane Unger

Published on February 26, 2017

Time

20 minutes, plus 30 minutes pickling

Yield

Serves 4 to 6

Spinach and Strawberry Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

Ingredients

½ cup red wine vinegar ⅓ cup sugar Salt and pepper ½ red onion, sliced thin1 tablespoon poppy seeds ½ cup sliced almonds ¼ cup vegetable oil 1 teaspoon dry mustard 1 pound strawberries, hulled and quartered (2 ½ cups)1 romaine lettuce heart (6 ounces), torn into bite-size pieces5 ounces (5 cups) baby spinach

Before You Begin

Poppy seeds are dark, so it’s hard to see when they’re fully toasted. Instead, use your nose: They should smell nutty. The pickled onions can be refrigerated, covered, for up to two days.

Instructions

  1. Whisk vinegar, sugar, and 3/4 teaspoon salt together in bowl. Transfer 1/4 cup vinegar mixture to small bowl and microwave until hot, about 1 minute. Add onion, stir to combine, and let sit for at least 30 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, toast poppy seeds in 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until fragrant and slightly darkened, 1 to 2 minutes; transfer to bowl and set aside. Add almonds to now-empty skillet, return to medium heat, and toast until fragrant and golden, 3 to 5 minutes.
  3. Whisk oil, mustard, poppy seeds, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper into remaining vinegar mixture. Combine strawberries, lettuce, spinach, and 1/4 cup almonds in large bowl. Using fork, remove onions from vinegar mixture and add to salad. Add dressing to salad and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer salad to serving platter and top with remaining 1/4 cup almonds. Serve.
Spinach and Strawberry Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

Spinach and Strawberry Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

Headshot of Diane Unger
By Diane Unger
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Time

20 minutes, plus 30 minutes pickling

Yield

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

½ cup red wine vinegar
⅓ cup sugar
Salt and pepper
½ red onion, sliced thin
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
½ cup sliced almonds
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 pound strawberries, hulled and quartered (2 ½ cups)
1 romaine lettuce heart (6 ounces), torn into bite-size pieces
5 ounces (5 cups) baby spinach

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

½ cup red wine vinegar
⅓ cup sugar
Salt and pepper
½ red onion, sliced thin
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
½ cup sliced almonds
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 pound strawberries, hulled and quartered (2 ½ cups)
1 romaine lettuce heart (6 ounces), torn into bite-size pieces
5 ounces (5 cups) baby spinach

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

½ cup red wine vinegar
⅓ cup sugar
Salt and pepper
½ red onion, sliced thin
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
½ cup sliced almonds
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 pound strawberries, hulled and quartered (2 ½ cups)
1 romaine lettuce heart (6 ounces), torn into bite-size pieces
5 ounces (5 cups) baby spinach

Test Kitchen Techniques

Why This Recipe Works

Many poppy seed dressing recipes turn out too thick and over-the-top sweet, with no poppy seed flavor. To solve the problem, we toasted the poppy seeds to enhance their flavor and then made a simple vinaigrette with red wine vinegar, a minimal amount of sugar, and mild vegetable oil. For the salad components, we liked a combination of baby spinach and romaine; the romaine added a welcome crunch and color contrast to the spinach. Quartered strawberries and toasted almonds rounded out the salad’s flavor profile.

Before You Begin

Poppy seeds are dark, so it’s hard to see when they’re fully toasted. Instead, use your nose: They should smell nutty. The pickled onions can be refrigerated, covered, for up to two days.

Instructions

  1. Whisk vinegar, sugar, and 3/4 teaspoon salt together in bowl. Transfer 1/4 cup vinegar mixture to small bowl and microwave until hot, about 1 minute. Add onion, stir to combine, and let sit for at least 30 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, toast poppy seeds in 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until fragrant and slightly darkened, 1 to 2 minutes; transfer to bowl and set aside. Add almonds to now-empty skillet, return to medium heat, and toast until fragrant and golden, 3 to 5 minutes.
  3. Whisk oil, mustard, poppy seeds, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper into remaining vinegar mixture. Combine strawberries, lettuce, spinach, and 1/4 cup almonds in large bowl. Using fork, remove onions from vinegar mixture and add to salad. Add dressing to salad and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer salad to serving platter and top with remaining 1/4 cup almonds. Serve.

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