What You Need To Make Strawberry Spinach Salad

Farro – Farro is a grain that’s full of fiber, iron, protein, and magnesium. I know, it’s the total package. If you’ve never had farro before, I highly recommend you give it a try. It tastes like a heartier brown rice. Though it has more than twice the amount of protein as rice! Follow the instructions on the package for how to cook the farro. The method is typically similar to pasta or rice. You’ll boil it in water for about 10-15 minutes, then strain it and let it cool for this recipe.

Spinach – Spinach is another major superfood in this recipe! Along with protein, iron, vitamins, and minerals – spinach is chock-full of antioxidants. The antioxidants found in spinach have been shown to reduce the risk of common diseases and even cancer. Yup, Popeye was seriously on to something with the whole spinach thing…

Walnuts – Here we go again with another superfood! Walnuts are also rich in antioxidants, are an incredible source of heart healthy omega-3s and have also been studied and found to reduce the risk of some cancers. Not only are they good for you, but walnuts give this salad a delightful crunch. I’m telling you, this strawberry spinach salad is the most well-rounded salad in both flavor and nutrition!

Adjust This Recipe To Your Diet

Add Protein: Feel free to add a flakey salmon filet or your favorite grilled/roasted chicken to increase the protein in this strawberry spinach salad recipe.

Make it Vegan: You can easily make this salad vegan by using maple syrup in place of the honey.

Use a Different Grain: Swap the farro for your favorite grain if you’d like! Cooked brown rice, quinoa, or even barley would taste great in this recipe.

Add Dairy: Sprinkle some crumbled feta over the top of your strawberry spinach salad.

Strawberry Spinach Salad

0 from 0 votes

Recipe by Samantha Russo Course: MainCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Total time

minutes

This strawberry spinach salad is both light and satisfying! Sweet strawberries, hearty farro, fresh mint, and healthy spinach are tossed together in a simple honey balsamic vinaigrette. Enjoy this strawberry spinach salad as a quick and nutritious lunch or serve it alongside your favorite protein for a well-rounded lunch!

Ingredients

For the salad:
1 cup farro
1-2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced
3 cups spinach, sliced
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, sliced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
For the honey balsamic dressing:
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

Cook farro according to package instructions then set aside to cool completely.
Toss all salad ingredients together in a bowl, including cooked and cooled farro.
Whisk together salad dressing ingredients in a small bowl, then drizzle over salad and toss again to coat.

Recipe Video

Notes

If you don’t have strawberries, fresh blueberries or sliced apples would taste great in their place!

Did you make this recipe?

Share it and tag @samdoesherbest on Instagram!

Like this recipe?

These mini vegan berry shortcakes are as cute as they are delicious! A few simple ingredients come together to create a soft shortcake base, which is then topped off with homemade coconut whipped cream. A sprinkling of fresh berries is the finishing touch to this easy and adorable dessert!

close-up image of mini vegan berry shortcakes

These Mini Vegan Berry Shortcakes Are…

Soft
Crumbly
Perfectly Sweet
Grain-Free
Fresh
Summery
& a total crowd-pleaser!

What You Need To Make Mini Vegan Berry Shortcakes

Almond Flour – This gluten and grain-free flour is a staple in my kitchen. Almond flour has a very mild taste and gives these shortcakes their irresistibly soft and crumbly texture! While almond flour used to be difficult to locate, you can easily find it either online or in most grocery stores these days.

Coconut Flour – This particular ingredient is vital to the construction of these mini vegan berry shortcakes. Coconut flour holds together these tiny treats, in the absence of eggs. It is very important that you do not skip or replace this it with any other type of flour (unless noted in the flour substitutions section below).

Coconut Cream – If you’re looking to make the vegan coconut whipped cream yourself, you’re going to need a can of coconut cream! I highly recommend the tiny cans of Native Forest Coconut Cream which can be found at Whole Foods. However, if you can’t find that particular brand then pick up any can of coconut cream and use just the solid coconut cream at the top of the can in this recipe. This step will ensure your cream whips up beautifully light and fluffy!

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

Make it Nut-Free: I have not tested this myself, but I can imagine that equal parts oat flour would work in place of the almond flour in this recipe. If you give this a try, let me know how it turns out! 🙂

Flour Substitutions: I get asked a lot if all purpose flour can be subbed in my gluten-free recipes and for this one in particular, you can try using 1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour in place of the almond and coconut flour. Though keep in mind that I have also not tested this myself and therefore cannot attest to its success! If you opt for all purpose flour in these mini vegan berry shortcakes, start with just one cup and the remaining half cup (or maybe even more flour) until a dough forms.

Mini Vegan Berry Shortcakes (Grain-Free)

5 from 1 vote

Recipe by Samantha Russo Course: DessertDifficulty: Easy

Servings

mini shortcakes

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Total time

minutes