Strawberry Poppyseed Salad

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The BEST EVER strawberry and avocado salad with a creamy poppyseed dressing and delicious 2-ingredient candied almonds! chelseasmessyapron.com

A show-stopping simple Strawberry Poppyseed Salad with fruity sweet strawberries, creamy avocado, crunchy candied almonds, and tangy feta cheese. The poppyseed dressing is the absolute best and takes only minutes to whip together.

Strawberry poppy seed salad in a large bowl, showcasing vibrant fruits and fresh greens.

Strawberry Poppyseed Salad

This is one of my all-time favorite salad recipes, featuring the perfect blend of flavors and textures – creamy, sweet, and crunchy. Inspired by Panera Bread Company®’s Strawberry Poppyseed Salad, this version includes my unique twist.

The original salad from Panera combines a variety of fruits, chicken, nuts, and poppyseed dressing. In my adaptation, I retain the strawberries, nuts, and poppyseed dressing, but replace the other fruits with avocado and some feta cheese. The avocado adds an incredible creaminess that complements the crispness of the nuts and strawberries, while the feta cheese beautifully brings all the flavors together.

View of sliced strawberries on a cutting board.

Ingredients In Strawberry Poppyseed Salad

Salad:

  • Baby spinach or mixed greens: Serve as the fresh and leafy base.
  • Strawberries: Provide a sweet and fruity element.
  • Avocado: Adds creaminess and richness.
  • Feta cheese: Offers a salty, tangy contrast to the sweet and creamy components.
  • Almonds: Provide crunch and nuttiness.

Creamy Poppyseed Dressing:

  • Mayonnaise: Creates a creamy base.
  • Milk and heavy cream: Add richness and help thin the dressing.
  • Sugar: Sweetens the dressing.
  • Apple cider vinegar: Adds tanginess and balances the sweetness.
  • Lemon zest: Contributes a fresh, citrusy flavor.
  • Poppyseeds: Add a slight crunch and visual appeal.

QUICK TIP

The dressing is likely more than you will need for the strawberry poppyseed salad. Store leftovers in the fridge for 4-5 days and use them for other salads or for a fruit/veggie dip.

Ingredients for dressing in a blender jar, blended to a smooth consistency, and then being poured.

How To Make Strawberry Poppyseed Salad

It’s as simple as 1,2,3…

  1. Candied Almonds: Cook sliced almonds and sugar in a skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar melts and coats the almonds. Spread them onto parchment paper to cool.
  2. Dressing: In a blender, combine mayonnaise, milk, heavy cream, sugar, apple cider vinegar, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth, then stir in poppyseeds.
  3. Salad Assembly: Place baby spinach or mixed greens on a platter. Add thinly sliced strawberries, diced avocado, crumbled feta cheese, and the cooled candied almonds. Drizzle with the prepared dressing and toss everything together. Serve immediately.

Candied almonds in the making: sugar and almonds in a skillet, being heated and stirred, with sugar melting and coating the almonds.

VARIATIONS

Switch Things Up

  • Panera’s salad includes blueberries, pineapple, and mandarin oranges, in addition to strawberries. Add these or other fruits for a similar taste.
  • Preferred cheese options are feta, blue cheese, or goat cheese.
  • Highly recommend the homemade poppyseed dressing recipe for its simplicity and flavor, but store-bought dressing like Brianna’s poppyseed dressing® is a suitable alternative (not sponsored). 
  • Add grilled chicken to make your strawberry poppyseed salad a full meal, using this favored Grilled Chicken Marinade recipe.

Fully dressed strawberry spinach salad with poppyseed dressing, vibrant and ready to serve.

Strawberry Poppyseed Salad Storage

  • This salad doesn’t store well after assembly due to its juicy ingredients. It should be eaten shortly after making to prevent the greens from wilting, the avocado from browning, and the almonds from softening.
  • To prepare in advance: Make the dressing ahead and store it in a fridge in a mason jar. Candied almonds can also be prepared early and stored in an airtight container in a dry place. Avoid preparing other parts of the strawberry poppyseed salad in advance.

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Strawberry Poppyseed Salad

5 from 7 votes
A show-stopping simple Strawberry Poppyseed Salad with fruity sweet strawberries, creamy avocado, crunchy candied almonds, and tangy feta cheese. The poppyseed dressing is the absolute best and takes only minutes to whip together.
Print Recipe

Strawberry Poppyseed Salad

5 from 7 votes
A show-stopping simple Strawberry Poppyseed Salad with fruity sweet strawberries, creamy avocado, crunchy candied almonds, and tangy feta cheese. The poppyseed dressing is the absolute best and takes only minutes to whip together.
Course Salad
Cuisine American
Keyword strawberry poppyseed salad
Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 4 -6 as a side salad
Chelsea Lords
Calories 838kcal
Cost $5.71

Ingredients

Stovetop Candied Almonds (Note 1)

  • 1 cup sliced or slivered almonds
  • 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons white granulated sugar

Creamy Poppyseed Dressing

  • 1/3 cup full-fat mayonnaise (I recommend Best Foods/Hellmans)
  • 2 tablespoons EACH: whole milk, heavy cream, white granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
  • pinch of salt and pepper
  • 1/2 tablespoon poppyseeds

Salad

  • 8 cups (5 oz) baby spinach or mixed greens
  • 2 cups strawberries, stems removed and sliced
  • 1 ripe large avocado diced (or 2 small avocados)
  • 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

Instructions

  • CANDIED ALMONDS: Place the sliced almonds and sugar in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir constantly. The sugar will begin to melt, become a sticky liquid, and then stick to the almonds. This takes about 3-4 minutes; watch carefully and stir constantly to avoid burning the nuts. As soon as the sugar starts turning liquid-y, remove the skillet from the heat and continue to stir until almonds are well coated. Spread the candied almonds onto a sheet of parchment paper and let cool. Once hardened, break apart and set aside.
  • DRESSING: Combine all of the ingredients, except the poppyseeds, in a small blender jar and process until combined. Taste and adjust any flavors to personal preference. (If you'd like a sweeter dressing, add an additional 1-2 tablespoons white sugar.) Stir in the poppyseeds. Store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to serve (Dressing stays good for 1 week stored this way).
  • SALAD ASSEMBLY: Add the mixed greens to a large platter or bowl. Remove the stems of the strawberries and slice thinly. Peel the avocado, remove the pit, and then chop or thinly slice. Add the strawberries and avocado to the lettuce, followed by the feta cheese and candied almonds to personal preference; we add about 1/3 cup. (See Note 1) Drizzle on the dressing (to personal preference, you may not use all the dressing -- See Note 2) and toss the salad. Enjoy immediately.
  • STORAGE: This salad doesn't sit well with the dressing, so only dress what will be enjoyed the same day. Store any leftover salad and dressing separately. Almonds and cheese should also be stored separately. Avocado will brown if cut in advance.

Video

Recipe Notes

Note 1: This is more almonds than you'll need for the salad, but sugaring the almonds works best with this volume. Store leftover almonds in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months or in the pantry for 2-3 weeks. Use leftover almonds as a snack, or as a topping for yogurt bowls, acai bowls, or salad.
Note 2: The dressing is likely more than you will need for the salad. Store leftovers in the fridge for 4-5 days and use for other salads or for a fruit/veggie dip.

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6servings | Calories: 838kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 67g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 19g | Monounsaturated Fat: 30g | Trans Fat: 0.05g | Cholesterol: 51mg | Sodium: 736mg | Potassium: 3547mg | Fiber: 24g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 44880IU | Vitamin C: 208mg | Calcium: 782mg | Iron: 16mg

We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed.

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Recipe Rating




29 Comments

  1. What a gorgeous salad, Chelsea! Strawberry salads are my absolute favorite. Love the candied pecans in here, such a perfect touch!

  2. This salad looks delicious…perfect for spring! And strawberry season! Who doesn’t love a good spinach salad?!

  3. I already love strawberry spinach salad but this is even better with the avocado and candied pecans. Two things I cannot resist!

  4. Chelsea – I love a good spinach salad; this one looks like it wouldn’t disappoint. The candied pecans in here make my heart melt. I’m a sucker for a candied pecan, but in a salad! It must add the perfect sweetness and crunch!

  5. Gorgeous salad I love this type of salad. I can’t believe after my grocery shop after work that I literally have all the ingredients. I am taken with the idea of the avocados and strawberries
    in the mix together. Awesome.

  6. I am just drooling over this salad! What a lovely combo – strawberry, almonds and avocado?! I can’t wait to give this a try!

  7. 5 stars
    I made this for dinner tonight. It’s delicious! That dressing is especially divine! The candied almonds gave it nice crunch and sweetness. Will definitely make this again! Thanks!

  8. I love decent spinach serving mixed greens; this one seems as though it wouldn’t frustrate. The candy-coated walnuts in here make my heart dissolve. I’m a sucker for a sugar-coated walnut yet in a plate of mixed greens! It should add the ideal pleasantness and crunch!

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