Strawberries and avocado are pretty much guaranteed to turn out a good salad when they are paired up. Spinach, a delicate leafy green, bulks it up and adds some iron, an important mineral for energy production. The pre-washed clamshells of baby spinach are a really fast and easy option, the smaller ones have about 8 cups in each, a good size for a large salad for around 4 people. I find spinach to be one of the dirtiest leafy greens and their tenderness makes them get kind of limp if handled too much, so they can take a while to prep for a salad. Kiwi fruit adds in an exotic touch and a lot of vitamin C- just one kiwi fruit has more than 75% of the recommended daily amount. Kiwis are not typically cultivated here in the Pacific Northwest but there is a vendor at the Vancouver Farmer’s Market with cases of the fruits and jams made from them, stretching the boundaries of what our climate can produce. Red onion adds some bite and fresh cilantro brings even more fresh, summery flavour.
Salads with lots of fruits like this go well with a bit of a creamier dressing and one of the easiest ways to make a fresh, homemade version is to use yogurt as a base. I really love the Greek Gods brand plain Greek yogurt because it is the thickest I have found and doesn’t taste as sour as most plain yogurts. There are lots of coconut, almond and other nut based yogurts for dairy-free options. Adding in both lemon juice and zest gives the dressing a more well rounded citrus flavour, plus the zest adds some bright colour. Meyer lemons are a darker, sweeter versions of lemons and if available they are a great option for salad dressings. Grating the skin around half a lemon then squeezing the juice out produces just the right amount. Some honey or maple syrup balance out the tartness and poppy seeds are optional. Leftover chicken or a drained and rinsed can of chickpeas adds lots of protein and can make a light salad like this into a full meal.
- 8 cups spinach
- 1 pint strawberries, quartered (around 2 cups)
- 4 kiwis, peeled, halved and sliced
- 2 large avocados, diced
- 2 tablespoons red onion, thinly sliced
- Optional: ¼ cup fresh cilantro, destemmed
- Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing
- 2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt (or coconut/nut based for dairy-free)
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (from ½ lemon)
- 1-2 teaspoons honey, depending on preference and tartness of lemon (or maple syrup)
- 1 teaspoon cold-pressed olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon poppy seeds
- ¼ teaspoon lemon zest
- Toss all the salad ingredients together in a large bowl. Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl then toss until evenly distributed.
