So this is the first recipe I’ve posted for a salad on this site and that’s no coincidence. For one, I’m not all that big on salads (which is funny because this is always what non-vegans try to feed me, this or a veggie burger). I think my aversion is mostly to salad dressings in particular. I find most of them repugnant. When you narrow down to only those that are vegan, the options are pretty slim.

Second, salads are too obvious – you know what I mean? “Oh, you’re a vegan? You must really like salads.” There’s a lot more out there for vegans besides big bowls of raw vegetables, so authoring a vegan blog that is chock full of recipes for salads feels a little like perpetuating a stereotype.

All that said, this salad happens to be pretty yummy and (as most salads are) really simple to prepare. It’s also very pretty, which I know doesn’t really matter all that much, but it’s a nice bonus! I love this in the spring and summer months with something hot off the grill.

The dressing I pair with this is equally basic and equally delish. I actually found it in an old GOOP posting in which Gwynnie was interviewing Jamie Oliver. It’s since become my go-to dressing and it works particularly well with the sweet flavor of the strawberries in this salad. Happy munching!

Strawberry Spinach Salad
Dressing recipe courtesy of JamieOliver.com

Salad Ingredients

1 package baby spinach
sliced red onion, to taste
1 carton strawberries, quartered or halved
choppped pecans, to taste
poppyseeds, as garnish

Dressing Ingredients
5 tbs extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon (to equal 4-5 tbs)
pinch of sea salt
pinch of freshly ground black pepper

Directions

• Combine all salad ingredients (except poppyseeds) in a large bowl
• Combine all ingredients for dressing in a jam jar or container with a tightly fitting lid and shake
• Drizzle 1/2 of the dressing over salad, sprinkle with poppyseeds and toss to combine
• Drizzle remaining dressing over salad, sprinkle with poppyseeds and toss again

Yield: Serves 6