Make this spinach salad recipe to serve with your favorite main dishes! This fresh spinach salad features seasonal fruit, creamy goat cheese, toasted pecans, just enough red…
Make this spinach salad recipe to serve with your favorite main dishes! This fresh spinach salad features seasonal fruit, creamy goat cheese, toasted pecans, just enough red onion, and the perfect amount of vinaigrette. It’s finished with a drizzle of thick balsamic vinegar or balsamic glaze.
This spinach salad is beautiful, absolutely delicious, and holiday worthy. It’s also easily adjusted to the changing seasons, and simple enough to make on a weeknight. Hooray!
You’ll see raspberries in these photos, which are wonderful. You’re not limited to raspberries, though—this spinach salad would be equally great with apples, pears, strawberries and more. You’ll find a full list of options below.
I’ve created quite a few green salad recipes over the years, but not a lot of spinach salad recipes. Arugula, kale, romaine and spring greens are usually my fresh greens of choice. The other day, I tried a spinach salad at a local French restaurant that inspired me to give fresh spinach in salads another chance. Let me tell you, this spinach salad is worth making! I love it and hope you do, too.
When I say Jello, you say Salad! :) Friends, we’re taking you back in time today…way back! We’re making Jello Salad! A simple, sweet treat and potluck classic. This recipe has been popular for many years; maybe because it’s a simple, inexpensive dessert that can feed a large group. Or maybe it’s because it’s so good that family and friends are always asking for it. Either way we couldn’t wait to share our version with you. Keep reading for all the deets!
What is Jello Salad
Jello Salad is a retro American dessert that was really popular in the 1960s. It’s usually made with flavored gelatin, fruit, and sometimes marshmallows, nuts, or even pretzels. Over the years this popular dish has transformed, to say the least, and now you can find several variations of jello salad.
I vividly remember my mother making a similar version of jello salad every Christmas. It was the perfect light & airy dessert to cap off a heavy holiday meal. Although this nostalgic dessert was super popular “back in the day” it’s still a big favorite today. Go ahead and make this jello salad for your next get-together, BBQ, potluck dinner, or holiday occasion!
Ingredients Needed For Jello Salad
We’re keeping this Jello Salad recipe simple, sweet, and delicious! Here’s what you’ll need:
Strawberry Gelatin: Choose your favorite flavored gelatin powder. Since we are including fresh strawberries in our jello salad, a strawberry flavored gelatin is the perfect choice.
Cottage Cheese: Yes, cottage cheese! It adds a wonderful creamy texture and a tangy flavor to help balance the sweetness of the dessert. And if you don’t like the texture of cottage cheese, don’t worry! We use a blender to whip the cottage cheese and gelatin together until they form a smooth and creamy consistency.
Homemade Whipped Cream – Whipped cream is the foundation for this salad, but you can totally use cool whip instead. More details on the difference between the two is listed below.
Strawberries and Crushed Pineapple – Finally add in your favorite fruit or other mix-ins. Fresh strawberries and crushed pineapple taste heavenly with this version.
Homemade Whipped Cream vs. Frozen Whipped Topping
We try to make things from scratch when we can, so we opted for homemade whipped cream in this jello salad. However, homemade whipped cream isn’t as stable as frozen whipped topping. If you plan to set this dessert outside at potlucks or parties, consider using cool whip or a store-bought whipped topping as these will hold their texture a bit longer. There are also ways to stabilize homemade whipped cream and make it last longer, usually by adding additional ingredients. Here’s a great article from Food52 about ways to stabilize whipped cream.
How to Store Jello Salad
We stored this Jello Salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator and it was still delicious the next day. It will last a day or two in the refrigerator, any longer than that and the whipped cream starts to slowly deflate. So be sure to share this dreamy dessert with your family and friends or gobble it all up yourself within a day or so!
Let us know in the comments if you remember this classic, sweet dessert! ;)
Wash, remove the stems, and quarter the strawberries. Feel free to cut any large pieces in half again. Set the strawberries to the side.
With a strainer and a small bowl, drain the crushed pineapples really well and reserve the pineapple juice.
In a blender*, add the strawberry gelatin, cottage cheese, and ⅓ cup of the reserved pineapple juice. Blend until smooth then add the mixture to a large bowl.
Next make the whipped cream. In a separate metal or glass bowl, preferably a bowl that has been chilled in the refrigerator, add heavy cream, vanilla extract, and granulated sugar. Use a hand mixer or stand mixer to whip the cream on high until stiff peaks form. Stop the mixer occasionally to test the stiffness of the peaks and to avoid over whipping.
Now carefully fold the whipped cream into the strawberry gelatin mixture.
Add the crushed pineapples and chopped strawberries to the bowl and carefully fold them into the whipped cream mixture until everything is evenly distributed.
Refrigerate jello salad for at least 2 hours so the ingredients have a chance to set and chill before serving. Enjoy!
*An 8 oz container of store-bought whipped topping can be used in place of the homemade whipped cream.*We use a blender to whip the cottage cheese and gelatin together until they form a smooth consistency. This helps break down the texture of cottage cheese.
Wash, remove the stems and quarter 1/2 pound of strawberries. Feel free to cut any large pieces in half again.
Drain a 20 oz can of crushed pineapples really well and reserve 1/3 cup of the pineapple juice.
In a blender, add a 3 oz package of strawberry flavored gelatin, 2 cups of small curd cottage cheese, and 1/3 cup of reserved pineapple juice.
Blend until smooth then add the mixture to a large bowl.
In a separate metal or glass bowl, add 1 cup heavy cream, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and 2 Tbsp granulated sugar. Use a hand mixer or stand mixer to whip the cream on high until stiff peaks form. Stop the mixer occasionally to test the stiffness of the peaks and to avoid over whipping.
Now carefully fold the whipped cream into the strawberry gelatin mixture.
Add the crushed pineapples and chopped strawberries to the bowl and carefully fold them into the whipped cream mixture until everything is evenly distributed.
Refrigerate the jello salad for at least 2 hours so the ingredients have a chance to set and chill before serving.
Enjoy by serving in a serving bowl or portion them into fun, individual sized mason jars. Either way this is sure to be a big hit at your next occasion! ;)
I’ve made several versions of Strawberry Spinach Salad over the years, but this by far is my favorite! It includes fresh strawberries, salty feta cheese, candied pecans, and an easy homemade balsamic vinaigrette. The textures and flavors are insanely delicious and compliment each other perfectly! It reminds you of a fancy salad that you’d get at a cafe, but you can make it at home for a fraction of the cost. This is one of those “summer” salads that I could literally eat all year long!
What’s in Strawberry Spinach Salad
Strawberry Spinach Salad includes lots of wonderful flavors and textures that compliment each other perfectly. Here’s what you’ll need:
Baby Spinach – a simple bed of spinach greens is the base foundation for this salad.
Strawberries – fresh, juicy, strawberries add a simple and wonderful sweetness.
Red onion – slightly sharp and a nice contrast to the sweetness of the strawberries and candied pecans.
Feta cheese – soft, creamy, salty feta cheese pairs well with the strawberries in this salad. If you’re not a fan of feta cheese, goat cheese or blue cheese would also work well.
Candied pecans – these candied pecans, in my humble opinion, are one of the best parts of the salad. It adds a crunchy, sweet texture, and you can swap the pecans out for toasted walnuts or toasted sliced almonds, which would also be totally delicious!
Balsamic vinaigrette – easy homemade balsamic vinaigrette dressing tops it all off.
Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
The dressing for this strawberry salad is probably my favorite part…ok it’s actually tied with the candied pecans! I started with Beth’s easy homemade balsamic vinaigrette and made one adjustment by replacing the mayonnaise with honey for a slightly sweeter taste. The results – absolutely amazing!
You can certainly use a store bought balsamic vinaigrette if you don’t have a well stocked pantry with all the necessary ingredients on hand, but I promise this homemade balsamic vinaigrette will taste wayyy better! I highly recommend you give it a try! ;)
Budget-Friendly Recipe Tips
If chopped nuts are a little too costly at your local store, toast up some day-old bread to use in place of the chopped pecans, similar to our Panzanella salad.
To bulk up the salad and make it stretch a little further, add your favorite pasta like penne or bow-tie pasta.
How To Store Strawberry Spinach Salad
Strawberry spinach salad stores well in the fridge for up to 3 days. In order to keep the spinach from wilting too much, it’s best to store the strawberries and the dressing separately and add them to the salad right before you’re ready to serve.
Serving Suggestions
This salad makes a great lunch meal by itself, Monti and I totally gobbled it up at the test studio, but you can also add some grilled chicken or sautéed shrimp on top for a more filling meal. This salad also pairs well with other leaner protein like baked cod and pan-seared chicken.
Start by making the homemade balsamic vinaigrette dressing. Add the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, minced garlic clove, dried basil, salt, and freshly cracked black pepper to a jar, bowl, or blender. Close the jar and shake the ingredients together, whisk in a bowl, or blend until the dressing is evenly combined. Set the dressing aside.
Next make the candied pecans. Add the butter, brown sugar and a pinch of salt to a small non-stick skillet. Heat over medium heat while stirring.
Once the butter and brown sugar begins to melt add the chopped pecans to the skillet and stir with the brown sugar mixture. Continue to cook over medium heat, stirring every 10-15 seconds until the brown sugar fully melts (looks glossy instead of grainy) and completely coats the pecans.
Remove the skillet from the heat immediately and transfer the candied pecans to a parchment lined baking sheet. Spread the pecans out evenly in a flat layer and allow them to cool for 10 minutes while the candied coating fully hardens.
Now prep the strawberries, red onion and feta cheese. Remove the stems and slice the strawberries, thinly slice the red onion, and crumble the feta. Set these ingredients to the side.
Divide the spinach between four plates. Drizzle 2 Tbsp of balsamic vinaigrette on top of each bed of spinach.
Add sliced strawberries, red onions, a tablespoon or two of candied pecans, and a tablespoon of feta cheese to each salad. Feel free to drizzle a little more balsamic vinaigrette over the top of each and enjoy!
HOW TO MAKE STRAWBERRY SPINACH SALAD – STEP BY STEP PHOTOS
Start by making the homemade balsamic vinaigrette. Add 1/3 cup olive oil, 3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar, 2 Tbsp honey, 1/2 Tbsp Dijon mustard, 1 garlic clove minced, 1/2 tsp dried basic, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper to a jar, bowl, or blender. Add a top to the jar and shake, whisk in a bowl, or blend until all the ingredients are evenly combined. Set the vinaigrette dressing aside.
Next make the candied pecans. In a small non-stick skillet add 1/2 Tbsp butter, 2 Tbsp brown sugar, and a pinch of salt. Heat over medium heat while stirring just until the butter and brown sugar begins to melt. Add 1/2 cup of chopped pecan and stir to coat in the brown sugar mixture. Continue to cook for 2-4 minutes or until the brown sugar is fully melted (looks glossy, not grainy) and completely coating the pecans.
Remove the skillet from the heat immediately, to prevent the brown sugar from over cooking and burning. Transfer the candied pecans to a parchment lined baking sheet, spread out in a flat layer. Allow them to cool for 10 minutes and the sugar coating will fully harden.
Now prep the rest of the salad ingredients. Wash and slice 1/2 pound of strawberries, thinly slice 1/4 of a red onion, portion out 2 oz of crumbled feta cheese, and gather your cooled candied pecans.
Divide 8 oz of spinach between four salad plates (roughly 2 oz per plate) or you can add all of the spinach to a larger serving bowl. Add 2 Tbsp of the balsamic vinaigrette to each salad plate or drizzle 1/3 cup of the dressing over the bowl of spinach. Reserve the rest of the dressing to add right before serving.
Divide the toppings (sliced strawberries, sliced red onion, 1 tablespoon of crumbled feta, and 1-2 tablespoons of candied pecans) between the four salad plates or add the toppings to a larger salad serving bowl. Drizzle each salad with a little more of the balsamic dressing and enjoy!
When my friend Ann pulled a box of Twinkies from the grocery bag, we asked what she planned to do with the cream-filled snack cakes. We were at a friend’s…
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When my friend Ann pulled a box of Twinkies from the grocery bag, we asked what she planned to do with the cream-filled snack cakes. We were at a friend’s...
Made with two layers of rich chocolate cake, frosted with strawberry frosting and filled with fresh strawberries, this chocolate strawberry cake is as delicious as it is beautiful. There are people who love chocolate desserts and there are people who prefer fruit desserts. Today’s cake is one that you’re going to want to make when …
Made with two layers of rich chocolate cake, frosted with strawberry frosting and filled with fresh strawberries, this chocolate strawberry cake is as delicious as it is beautiful.
There are people who love chocolate desserts and there are people who prefer fruit desserts.
Today’s cake is one that you’re going to want to make when you need to please everyone.
This chocolate strawberry cake combines rich, moist chocolate cake layers with a tart, strawberry-forward frosting, silky chocolate ganache, and fresh strawberries.
Honestly, if you love chocolate-covered strawberries, you’ll absolutely be obsessed with this cake.
It’s just as beautiful as it is delicious, so it’s great for everything from birthdays to anniversaries to special occasion celebrations. One slice won’t be enough, trust me!
I have always enjoyed strawberries, but lately, I am obsessed. Strawberry season is my favorite. When strawberries are ripe and ready, we buy them like crazy. I love eating strawberries with my yogurt, acai bowls, in salads, and of course I love m…
I have always enjoyed strawberries, but lately, I am obsessed. Strawberry season is my favorite. When strawberries are ripe and ready, we buy them like crazy. I love eating strawberries with my yogurt, acai bowls, in salads, and of course I love making strawberry shortcake. It is a strawberry season classic! I also love making this…
According to a spring 1957 issue of the Claude News, the Business Women’s Club of this Texas panhandle town got together for a luncheon meeting. On the menu were roast…
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According to a spring 1957 issue of the Claude News, the Business Women’s Club of this Texas panhandle town got together for a luncheon meeting. On the menu were roast...
I would like to make clear from the outset that I do not think we, this site, or even the internet necessarily needs a new recipe for lemonade. I’ve covered lemonade that’s picnic pink (with any berry you like), with watermelon, wi…
I would like to make clear from the outset that I do not think we, this site, or even the internet necessarily needs a new recipe for lemonade. I’ve covered lemonade that’s picnic pink (with any berry you like), with watermelon, with cucumber, with maple syrup and bourbon, and even lime and mint. But the thing I ran into when my kids left me, once again, with a basket of overpriced strawberries on their last legs — fruit they’d asked me to buy but then mysteriously lost interest in eating when it was presented to them at breakfast — and I decided to instead turn strawberries into strawberry-ade, so to speak, was that every lemonade recipe I’ve already published contains steps I lacked inclination to do.
Chocolate? Absolutely. Vegan chocolate? Even better. Vegan chocolate pot de crème that requires just 3 ingredients and tastes like the REAL deal!? Now we’re talkin’!
Thanks to the magic of silken tofu (don’t knock it till you try it!), we’re brin…
Chocolate? Absolutely. Vegan chocolate? Even better. Vegan chocolate pot de crème that requires just 3 ingredients and tastes like the REAL deal!? Now we’re talkin’!
Thanks to the magic of silken tofu (don’t knock it till you try it!), we’re bringing you this indulgent, intensely chocolaty, totally classic dessert that’s as easy to prepare as it is to enjoy.
When the temperatures rise, the refreshing drinks arrive! Enter this naturally sweetened strawberry margarita bursting with fresh strawberry flavor and the perfect tart-sweet balance!
Made in just 5 minutes (really!) with just 4 ingredients, it doesn’t…
When the temperatures rise, the refreshing drinks arrive! Enter this naturally sweetened strawberry margarita bursting with fresh strawberry flavor and the perfect tart-sweet balance!
Made in just 5 minutes (really!) with just 4 ingredients, it doesn’t get any easier! Rev up your blenders, friends — let’s make some drinks!
What is in a Margarita?
A traditional margarita is a cocktail made of tequila, lime juice, and a citrus liqueur such as triple sec or cointreau.
I have always enjoyed strawberries, but lately, I am obsessed. Strawberry season is my favorite. When strawberries are ripe and ready, we buy them like crazy. I love eating strawberries with my yogurt, acai bowls, in salads, and of course I love making strawberry shortcake. It is a strawberry season classic! I also love making this… 
