UPDATE: This post was updated on April 7, 2025 to include conversions for metric measurements and nutrition information.
Once we start to get even a glimpse of warm weather, I'm fully on board with spring and summer salads! This Spinach and Arugula Salad with Strawberries combines fresh, light flavors of spring and summer with a refreshing lemon vinaigrette. And it's a salad that you'll be craving all summer long!
This Spinach and Arugula Salad is great to serve with Sourdough Discard Focaccia or Black Pepper Focaccia and an Aperol Soda!
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Why you'll love this recipe
- This Spinach and Arugula Salad comes together in just a few minutes and only uses the stovetop for a few minutes (to make the crispy shallots).
- This recipe is best with fresh, seasonal ingredients and is easy to modify.
- You can easily add a grilled protein (chicken, fish, shrimp), and this salad can be a full meal!
Ingredients
Fresh ingredients will be best for this recipe! Think about those fresh summer flavors that you really want to make shine through.
- Quinoa: You can use either white or tri-colored quinoa.
- Shallot: This is absolutely necessary to create the delicious crispy shallots, and also to flavor the olive oil for the dressing.
- Olive oil: You'll use this to crisp up the shallots, and then it becomes the base of your dressing. Make sure to use a good-quality olive oil (I like to use Extra Virgin Olive Oil from California Olive Ranch).
- Spinach and arugula: Feel free to mix up the quantities, or use another type of lettuce if you have something else on hand!
- Strawberries: Fresh strawberries are best here, and feel free to be heavy-handed.
- Avocado: One avocado should be plenty for your salad, but you can always use more if you want to!
- Pecans: toast these in the oven for a few minutes, then coarsely chop.
Substitutions & Variations
This is a very adaptable recipe and below are a few easy substitutions and variations you can try.
- Use different fruits: This recipe uses fresh strawberries, but would also be great with blueberries or blackberries. Stone fruit could work well, also!
- Use tri-color quinoa or wild rice: This recipe uses white quinoa, but could also be made with tri-color quinoa, or even wild rice instead!
- Use different nuts: We're using toasted pecans, but this would also be delicious with toasted almonds or another nut.
- Add a grilled protein: Make this salad an entire meal by adding a grilled protein like chicken, fish, or shrimp.
I have not tested this recipe with other variations, but if you do, let us know how it turns out in the comments! I always love to hear how you're adapting these recipes and use those as ideas for future recipes as well!
How to Make Spinach and Arugula Salad
Combine your shallots and olive oil in a small skillet.
Cook the shallots until crispy (but not burnt!). Watch out, they will burn quickly. Remove them from the oil and let cool. Use the olive oil to make your dressing.
Toss the spinach and arugula with cooled quinoa and herbs. Add dressing (and remember, less is more). Transfer to your serving plate.
Top with your strawberries, avocado slices, toasted pecans, crispy shallots, salt, and pepper. Serve with additional dressing on the side.
Expert Cooking Tips
- The shallots will turn from crispy to burnt quickly so watch out!
- Let the warm ingredients cool before assembling. The shallots, olive oil and quinoa should all be cooled before you make the dressing or put the salad together.
- Less is more when it comes to salad dressing. You can always add more, but you can't take any away, so be cautious when adding your dressing.
- Add a grilled protein if you want to make this salad an entire meal!
Equipment
There are only a few things that you'll need to bring this recipe together. You'll need a few mixing bowls, a small whisk, and a small skillet (I like the Small Fry from Great Jones).
kitchen essentials
My Favorite Small Skillet
The perfect skillet for crisping shallots, making eggs, and using every day!
Storage
Refrigerator Storage: Salad is best eaten the same day, but if you have leftovers, package them in an airtight container and store in the fridge for 2-3 days. It's best if you can store the salad separately from the dressing. If your salad is already dressed, it tends to go limp sooner.
Recipe FAQ
Yes, definitely! This would work really well with blueberries as well.
Yes, of course, but if you have the time, I highly recommend making them. They are delicious, and they add a flavor to the olive oil for the dressing that is just irreplaceable.
Yes. This is a great salad to make the pieces ahead of time, and then assemble when you're ready. You'll want to make sure your quinoa is cooled before you add it to the spinach and arugula, and you'll want your olive oil to be cooled before you make the dressing. If you put everything together while still warm, the salad will wilt faster.
Spinach and Arugula Salad with Strawberries
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Quinoa
- ½ cup uncooked quinoa rinsed
- 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 bay leaf
For the Dressing
- 1 shallot thinly sliced
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
For the Salad
- 2 cups arugula lightly packed
- 2 cups spinach lightly packed
- ½ cup strawberries trimmed and quartered
- 1 avocado sliced
- 2 Tablespoons fresh basil chopped
- 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
- ¼ cup pecans toasted and chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread pecans on a small baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes until fragrant and lightly browned. Set aside to cool, then coarsely chop.
- Make the quinoa. Combine the vegetable broth, quinoa, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and set aside to cool.
- Make the crispy shallots. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine olive oil and shallots. Once the shallots are bubbling, reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occassionally, until crisp and golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the shallots to a paper towel-lined plate to cool. Transfer the olive oil to a small bowl to cool.
- Make the dressing. In a small bowl, combine the cooled olive oil, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, dijon mustard, honey, salt, and black pepper. Whisk until smooth and combined.
- Assemble the salad. In a large bowl, combine the spinach, arugula, cooled quinoa, basil, and parsley. Pour in ⅓ of the dressing and toss to combine. You want to err on the side of less dressing - you can always add more, but you can't take it out!
- To build the salad, use the lettuce and quinoa mixture as the base. Add strawberry slices, avocado slices, chopped pecans, crispy shallots, and additional salt and pepper, to taste. Add additional dressing as needed.
Jessica Vogl says
I love the fresh summer flavors and that by adding a grilled protein, this salad can be a whole meal!