Black Pepper Free Spinach & Strawberry Salad with Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette
Fresh strawberries and baby spinach are a natural pairing — sweet meets earthy in the best possible way — and the torn mint leaves take the whole thing somewhere bright and unexpected. The honey balsamic vinaigrette here leans on apple cider vinegar, a touch of honey, and freshly grated garlic for a dressing that feels lively and complex without relying on any heat from black pepper. Ground ginger steps in to give the vinaigrette just enough of a gentle kick, so the flavor profile stays interesting from the first bite to the last. Many store-bought dressings sneak in pepper as a background note, which makes a homemade version like this one genuinely worth the two minutes it takes to whisk together. The thinly sliced red onion adds a little sharpness that balances the sweetness of the berries beautifully. Toss everything together right before serving and you've got a salad that looks stunning on the table and tastes even better than it looks.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the salad
- 5 oz baby spinach
- 1 lb fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
- ¼ red onion, very thinly sliced
- ¼ cup fresh mint leaves, torn
For the dressing
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 clove garlic, finely grated
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
- 1
In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey, grated garlic, ground ginger, and salt until the dressing is smooth and emulsified.
- 2
Add the baby spinach, sliced strawberries, red onion, and torn mint to a large salad bowl.
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