Strawberry Spinach Salad

Looking at my most recent blog posts, I noticed that I post a lot of cookie, brownie and cupcake recipes. And with good reason. I love to bake, not to mention eat, all of those things. Despite the crazy amount of baked goods that come out of my kitchen, I actually do try to eat healthy and maintain a good balance in my diet. For instance, I love, and often even crave, a good salad. And this Strawberry Spinach Salad is what I call a good salad. 

At my old job, we often grabbed lunch from this restaurant that had the most amazing strawberry goat cheese salad on the menu. I immediately fell in love and never ordered anything else. It  really was that good. After making this salad at home, I am so excited to have found a recipe that tastes just like the one I always used to order. And now that summer is here and fresh berries are in season, there is really no excuse not to make this salad more often. Leave out the goat cheese if you are not a fan, but for me, it is not optional. 

Strawberry Spinach Salad

Recipe adapted from Annie's Eats

Dressing:

1 cup fresh strawberries, sliced

1 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 1/2 tbsp white wine

1 tbsp granulated sugar

Pinch of salt

Salad:

Baby spinach leaves, rinsed and dried

Sliced almonds

Fresh strawberries, sliced

Crumbled goat cheese

In a blender or food processor, combine the strawberries, apple cider vinegar, white winer, sugar and salt. Pulse until the mixture is smooth and combined. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerator until ready to use. 

Portion spinach onto salad plates. Top with sliced almonds, crumbled goat cheese and sliced strawberries. Drizzle with the strawberry dressing.