Gluten-Free Strawberry Spinach Salad

Baby spinach and sliced fresh strawberries are tossed with an apple cider vinegar and Dijon vinaigrette, with optional red onion and toasted pecans or walnuts. It's a sweet-tart, crisp salad for a side or quick lunch.

Prep: 15 min Total: 35 min Serves: 4

At a glance: This medium salads and sides recipe yields 4 servings in about 35 minutes (15 min prep). It uses 10 ingredients — including baby spinach, fresh strawberries, red onion — and walks through 5 steps. Updated October 25, 2026. Browse more salads and sides recipes or return to all gluten-free recipes.

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Cross-Contamination Warning for Gluten-Free Strawberry Spinach Salad: When preparing this salads and sides recipe, toasted pecans or walnuts and Dijon mustard should be labeled gluten-free. Shake the dressing in a clean jar.

Gluten-Free Notes for Gluten-Free Strawberry Spinach Salad: This salad is naturally free from gluten-containing grains. Ensure all processed ingredients, like Dijon mustard, are gluten-free.

Scale Recipe:

servings

Ingredient amounts update automatically

Instructions

1 Prepare the salad base by thoroughly washing and drying the baby spinach. Place the clean spinach into a large salad bowl, ensuring it's dry to prevent a watery dressing. Add the sliced fresh strawberries and thinly sliced red onion, if using, to the bowl.
2 In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar, gluten-free Dijon mustard, salt, black pepper, and minced garlic, if desired. Continue whisking vigorously for about 1-2 minutes until the dressing is emulsified and slightly thickened, creating a cohesive mixture.
3 Add the toasted pecans or walnuts to the salad bowl with the spinach and strawberries, if you are including them for added crunch. These nuts will provide a delightful textural contrast to the soft greens and berries.
4 Drizzle the prepared vinaigrette evenly over the salad ingredients. Gently toss everything together for about 1-2 minutes, ensuring all the spinach leaves and strawberries are lightly coated with the dressing. Taste a leaf to check the seasoning and adjust salt or pepper if needed.
5 Serve the salad immediately to enjoy the crispness of the spinach and the freshness of the strawberries. For best results, allow the salad to sit for about 5-10 minutes after tossing, allowing the flavors to meld slightly before serving.

Nutrition (per serving)

238

Calories

10g

Protein

24g

Carbs

Fat

Fiber

246mg

Sodium

Tips & Notes

Slice the strawberries just before assembling. Cut berries release juice that can make the spinach soggy.
Toast the pecans or walnuts in a dry pan for 3-5 minutes until fragrant. They taste richer and stay crisp.
A teaspoon of honey or maple syrup in the apple cider vinaigrette helps tie the strawberries and spinach together.

Common questions

What cross-contamination risk is specific to Gluten-Free Strawberry Spinach Salad?

Check baby spinach, fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced, red onion, thinly sliced before they go into Gluten-Free Strawberry Spinach Salad. Toasted pecans or walnuts and Dijon mustard should be labeled gluten-free. Shake the dressing in a clean jar.

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