Name: Strawberry Spinach Salad
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 4 cups fresh spinach; 1 cup fresh strawberries (sliced); 1 large avocado (sliced); 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar; 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard; 1/2 tablespoon granulated sugar substitute like Erythritol; 1/2 cup olive oil; Salt and ground black pepper (to taste)

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This is the perfect summer salad, with vibrant fruity strawberries, spinach, and tart vinaigrette.

» For more great side dish recipes try this Watermelon, Arugula & Feta Salad and Keto Grilled Radishes with Garlic & Dill Butter.

Fresh strawberries are the simple star of the show in this salad. When strawberries are in season, and at their ultimate sweetness, that’s when this salad should appear on your dining table at least once a week.

Strawberries are one of the great farmer’s market purchases. There’s one market stand in London near our home that has the best strawberries I’ve ever eaten.

We buy a huge box of them and add them to everything for weeks, while they’re at their peak. There are many berry smoothies being made in our house.

How Many Carbs Are in Strawberries?

One cup of whole strawberries contains a total of 11 total grams of carbs. This total includes fiber, of which there is 2.9 grams in 1 cup. So there are 8.1 net grams of carbs in one cup of whole strawberries.

In case you’re wondering, that same cup of whole strawberries contains 1 gram of protein, .4 grams of fat, and 47 calories.

How many strawberries are in a cup? It varies depending on the size of the berry, but there are about 8 medium-sized strawberries in a cup, or 5 ounces of strawberries weighed. That give you the option of cutting the typical serving size in half and lowering the net carbs you’re getting.

Ingredients You’ll Need

This salad is full of fresh ingredients, the combination is unforgettable. Make up the dressing and keep it in the refrigerator, and this salad will come together quickly.

Spinach – Fresh, crispy spinach leaves. I use baby spinach, because it’s so bite sized and delicate. Regular spinach works too, but be sure to tear it up into smaller pieces.
Strawberries – Cut the strawberries into quarters. If you’ve got extra large strawberries, you might chop them instead, for smaller pieces. You want everything in the salad to be bite sized.
Avocado – Don’t add the avocado until you are ready to eat so that they stay bright green and fresh.
Dressing ingredients – Apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, sugar substitute like allulose or Erythritol, olive oil, salt and pepper.

I use allulose as a sugar substitute. You can use Swerve, monkfruit, Erythritol or Xylitol. It’s really up to you. The reason I use allulose is because it’s a no calorie no carb sweetener like erythritol, but it doesn’t have the cooling effect. I get allulose directly through Wholesome Yum. I think you’ll really like it, especially if you also don’t like the cooling effect.

Learn more about low-carb sweeteners and conversion here.

How to Make a Strawberry Spinach Salad

Start with fresh, crisp spinach leaves. I use baby spinach, because it’s so bite sized and delicate. Regular spinach works too, but be sure to tear it up into smaller pieces. You’ll know why if you’ve ever tried to fit a whole leaf in your mouth in one bite. It’s not pretty.

Cut up the strawberries into quarters. If you’ve got extra large strawberries, you might chop them instead, for smaller pieces. The avocado can be sliced and then chopped into smaller slivers.

Don’t toss the salad with the dressing until you’re ready to serve it. The leaves become wilted quickly and you want this to be as crisp as possible when served.

Additions

This salad is great with just spinach, strawberries, and avocado, but if you’re wanting to turn it into a lunch salad instead of a side salad, there are a few great accompaniments to add.

Try one or more of these additions:

Candied pecans, walnuts or slivered almonds
Crumbled feta or gorgonzola cheese
Grilled chicken

Frequently Asked Questions

How many carbs are in strawberry spinach salad?

A 1 cup serving of strawberry spinach salad contains 8 grams of total carbs, 5 grams of fiber and 3 net carbs.

I don’t like spinach, what else can I use?

If you don’t like spinach try using arugula or romaine as an alternative. Iceberg lettuce will work too, or try mixing multiple types of lettuce for a different taste and texture. It really comes down to your taste and preference.

Why is my salad soggy?

You may have mixed the salad dressing into the salad too early. Try mixing up the salad dressing and leaving it in the refrigerator until right before you eat. The longer the dressing sits on the salad the soggier and limper the spinach will get.

What to Serve This With

This salad is a great side dish, especially for a light summer dish, like salmon or white fish. It also goes really well with this buffalo stuffed chicken or a versatile pulled pork shoulder.

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