Strawberry Avocado Spinach Salad with Poppyseed Dressing

5 from 1 vote
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This Strawberry Avocado Spinach Salad recipe is a summer version of the classic Cobb salad. It has the traditional chicken, bacon, avocado, and egg, but adds the bright flavors of strawberries and oranges. Pull it all together with your favorite store-bought or homemade poppyseed dressing for a fresh and satisfying lunch or dinner that is sure to be one of your favorite salad recipes.

Strawberry Avocado Spinach Salad Recipe with Poppyseed Dressing

I can eat salads every day. In fact, I pretty much do.

I’ll be honest, going out to eat as someone who is gluten free does sometimes limit me to the salad menu. But I’m OK with that because restaurants have gotten more and more creative with their salads over the years. You aren’t just limited to Chicken Caesar Salad or Chef Salad

Heck, even the Italian Country Salad that was my restaurant favorite for years now seems a bit tame compared to all of the options out there today.

But at home for lunch, I keep it simple. Romaine, some leftover chicken or lunchmeat or hard-boiled eggs. Maybe a little fruit or cheese or leftover roasted veggies. Then it gets a drizzle of Creamy Balsamic Dressing or something similar.

My husband and kids, on the other hand, it takes a little more to get them to eat a salad. They need a serious salad.

This, my friends, is a serious salad…

Overhead of Strawberry Avocado Spinach Salad with individual piles of chicken, bacon, got cheese, orange segments, almonds, and hard boiled eggs

Summer Strawberry Cobb Salad

A Cobb salad is traditionally made with lettuce topped with chicken, bacon, tomatoes, avocado, blue cheese, hard-boiled eggs, and chives, and then drizzled with red wine vinaigrette. With a few swaps and additions, you can transform that Cobb into something bright and summery, and maybe with even a few more nutritional benefits.

What is in a strawberry spinach salad?

  • Spinach
  • Sliced strawberries
  • Slice avocado
  • Orange segments
  • Chicken
  • Bacon
  • Almonds
  • Goat cheese (or blue cheese or feta)
  • Hard-boiled egg
  • Salad dressing

You can arrange it all nicely on individual serving plates, or toss it all together in one large bowl.

Closeup of Cobb-Style Strawberry Avocado Spinach Salad with Poppyseed Dressing Tossed strawberry spinach salad with poppyseed dressing, plus chicken, avocado, eggs, goat cheese, and bacon

What kind of dressing do you put on strawberry spinach salad?

Overhead of Strawberry Avocado Spinach Salad with individual piles of chicken, bacon, got cheese, orange segments, almonds, and hard boiled eggs

Do I need to wash bagged spinach?

Despite the package claims you often see of bagged spinach being “triple-washed”, it can still harbor bacteria. And even if you get it from a farmers market or your own organic garden, due to its ridges, it notoriously hangs on to dirt and sand. Therefore spinach should always be washed.

How do you wash spinach?

  1. Fill a large bowl or another clean container with cool water.
  2. Add the spinach to the water and submerge a few times.
  3. Remove the spinach to a clean towel and let it dry, or put it in a salad spinner to remove the excess water. 

What is the best way to cut an avocado?

Avocadoes can be tricky little guys. The easiest way to cut an avocado is to slice through the skin at the top of the avocado and press the knife all the way to the pit. Then run the knife all the way around the avocado and pop the two halves apart. You can then carefully bang the blade of your knife into the pit and twist to remove the pit. Either scoop the flesh out with a spoon or slice it right in the shell and scoop it out.

If all of this sounds a bit too risky and likely to cause you to end up in the emergency room, I highly recommend a simple avocado tool that has features to allow you to do all of these things without losing a finger.

Tossed Strawberry Avocado Salad with Poppyseed Dressing from above

Is spinach salad good for you?

This spinach salad is inspired by the classic Cobb salad. A Cobb salad can be one of the more calorie-dense salads out there with the bacon, eggs, avocado, and cheese. With the swaps to turn it into a summer strawberry Cobb salad, it is a bit lighter and filled with even more nutritional benefits.

Spinach adds more fiber, iron, vitamins, and minerals than the usual iceberg, Bibb, or butter lettuce you’ll typically find in a Cobb salad. Dark, leafy greens are good for skin, hair, and bone health.

Avocados and almonds have plenty of healthy fats. Berries and oranges provide Vitamin C that helps your body absorb all that iron from the spinach.

And, of course, it is loaded with protein from chicken, bacon, eggs, nuts, and cheese. 

How can I make this salad healthier?

While this hearty salad truly does make a satisfying meal that will keep you full for hours, there are some options to lighten it up:

  • Instead of a quarter of an avocado per salad, you can use just one-eighth of one to cut down on calories but still keep that creamy texture.
  • You can use just half an egg per salad.
  • While the bacon adds amazing flavor, it can be omitted. It can even be a vegetarian salad if you skip both the bacon and the chicken.
  • Cut down on the dressing, or purchase or make a lighter dressing.

Strawberry Avocado Spinach Salad on a tin plate with antique fork and mustard-colored napkin

What else can you make with spinach?

Want more creative Cobb salad recipes?

Strawberry Avocado Spinach Salad Recipe

A salad that truly makes a meal with all of its delicious, healthy, and filling toppings. Inspired by the classic Cobb salad, but with a summertime spin. Everyone will love the bright, fresh flavors and gorgeous colors in this strawberry spinach salad with poppyseed dressing.

I hope you’ll leave a comment and give it a FIVE STAR rating or share a photo on Pinterest! Tag #cupcakesandkalechips when you make this recipe to be featured on my IG stories!

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Strawberry Avocado Spinach Salad on a tin plate with antique fork and mustard-colored napkin
5 from 1 vote

Strawberry Avocado Spinach Salad with Poppyseed Dressing

A summer version of the classic Cobb salad recipe. Healthy, fresh, and satisfying!
Prep: 10 minutes

Equipment

  • Salad spinner
  • Avocado tool
  • Knife

Ingredients

  • 6-8 cups baby spinach, washed and dried
  • 1 cup sliced strawberries
  • 1 avocado, sliced
  • 1 medium orange, cut into segments
  • 8 oz. chicken breast, cooked and cubed (about two cups, or one small or two large breasts)
  • 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
  • 2 oz. crumbled goat cheese (about 1/2 cup)
  • 4 Tablespoons sliced almonds
  • 4 hard-boiled eggs, quartered or chopped
  • 8 Tablespoons poppyseed salad dressing, storebought or homemade
  • minced parsley, optional for garnish

Instructions

  • Divide the spinach between four plate or bowls.
  • Top each plate of spinach with about a quarter of the strawberries, avocado, orange, and chicken, one slice of crumbled bacon, 1 oz. (about a two Tablespoons) goat cheese, one Tablespoon almonds, and one egg.
  • Drizzle each salad with about two Tablespoons of dressing. Garnish with minced parsley, if desired.
  • Serve as-is or toss before serving. You can also toss all of the ingredients in one large bowl and divide between individual plates or bowls.
Nutrition Facts
Strawberry Avocado Spinach Salad with Poppyseed Dressing
Amount Per Serving (1 g)
Calories 576 Calories from Fat 378
% Daily Value*
Fat 42g65%
Saturated Fat 10g50%
Cholesterol 266mg89%
Sodium 531mg22%
Potassium 947mg27%
Carbohydrates 18g6%
Fiber 7g28%
Sugar 8g9%
Protein 34g68%
Vitamin A 4829IU97%
Vitamin C 56mg68%
Calcium 149mg15%
Iron 4mg22%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Enjoy!

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