It’s funny how fruits and vegetables that grow in the same season often complement each other in recipes as well. Even as unlikely a pair as spinach and strawberries.

The strawberries in my garden start to come on just as the spinach is at its peak so this fresh spinach salad with sliced strawberries and homemade strawberry vinaigrette is a regular meal in late spring.

Both spinach and strawberries are suitable for container gardening, so you can make this recipe with homegrown ingredients even if you don’t have a lot space.

Ingredients

Salad

  • 4 cups spinach, washed, bite-sized
  • 1 cup arugula
  • 1 cup pecans, toasted
  • 1 cup strawberries, hulled, sliced
  • salt and pepper

Vinaigrette

  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 3 strawberries, hulled
  • 1/3 cup olive oil

Instructions

  1. Toss all the salad ingredients in a large bowl.
  2. Place the vinegar, honey and strawberries in a blender or food processor. Pulse until smooth. Transfer to a mixing bowl. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, whisking as you go.
  3. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.