Strawberry season is short and sweet in the Pacific Northwest. And while my favorite way to eat strawberries is straight out of the field, this Strawberry Spinach Summer Salad is a close second. Baby greens, early season nectarines, creamy avocado and fresh strawberries make a refreshing summer salad. The salad is finished with a sprinkle of crunchy pumpkin seeds and dressed with a homemade basil berry vinaigrette.

As if the salad goodies weren’t enough, the basil berry vinaigrette takes this salad to a whole new level. Fresh strawberries, basil, red wine vinegar and healthy avocado oil are quickly blended into this light pink, tangy and slightly sweet vinaigrette. It will keep in the fridge for up to 10 days!

Strawberries, while delicious, are on the top of the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen produce guide. This means conventionally grown strawberries have some of the highest residual pesticides. This exposure is especially problematic for pregnant women, nursing mamas, and little kiddos who may not be able to efficiently detox the chemicals.

To avoid pesticide exposure, invest in organic strawberries! We order them in our Imperfect Produce box at a big savings. In fact, this is where we get most of our produce, especially when it’s still too early to harvest from our home garden.

Buying local is another great option, but be sure to ask your farmer about their pest management practices! Not all farms can afford big label certifications like “organic” but their practices may be just as safe! We pick our strawberries at a no-spray

Need to make Strawberry Spinach Summer Salad  a full meal? Add cooked, cooled, and sliced chicken breast or shrimp to round out the meal!

Strawberry Spinach Summer Salad

Liz Winters

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Course Salad

Servings 6

Ingredients

  

• 6 cups baby spinach
• 1 pint strawberries
• 2 small nectarines
• 1/2 small red onion
• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1 avocado

Instructions

 

Prep your salad fixings!

• Wash, hull and quarter the strawberries
• Slice the nectarine into thin slices, carefully removing the pit.
• Dice red onion.
• Cut avocado in half, remove pit and chop fruit into chunks.

Put it all together!

• In a large bowl, add 6 cups of mixed greens. Top with strawberries, nectarines, onion and avocado. Sprinkle in pumpkin seeds and gently toss to combine.
• Just before serving, toss salad with Basil Berry Vinaigrette.

Basil Berry Vinaigrette

Summer salad dressing!

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Equipment

• High Speed Blender

Ingredients

  

• 1/2 cup strawberries about 4 medium strawberries
• 2 tbls red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup avocado oil or light tasting oil
• 1 tsp honey
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 6-8 basil leaves

Instructions

 

• Roughly chop the strawberries and thinly slice the basil leaves.
• Combine all ingredients in a high speed blender and puree until smooth.
• Taste for salt and pepper and adjust accordingly.
• Store in refrigerator for up to 10 days.