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You are here: Home / Sides / Baby Spinach Salad with Strawberries and Maple Balsamic Dressing

Posted May 29, 2019 Last Edited May 29, 2019 By Taryn

Baby Spinach Salad with Strawberries and Maple Balsamic Dressing

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Note: This post may be sponsored or contain affiliate links.

This Baby Spinach Salad with Strawberries & Feta is a simple chopped salad that is quick enough for lunch but can also be doubled or tripled to serve for guests as an entree salad. With the saltiness of feta cheese, the crunch of roasted sunflower seeds, and the sweetness of fresh strawberries and sugar-free Maple Balsamic Dressing it is sure to please.

a white plate of baby spinach salad with strawberries, feta cheese, and sunflower seeds

Baby Spinach Salad with Strawberries & Feta – Low Carb, Keto, Sugar-Free, THM S

Most days for lunch I eat leftovers from dinner the night before. I never feel like cooking for myself just for lunch but if we already have cooked chicken I’ll make a quick salad to liven it up and get in some more veggies.

My favorite variety of salad is a chopped salad which I eat with a big spoon. No joke. I learned this trick when my 4th child was a newborn. It was much easier to eat salad when it was cut up small and with a spoon while holding her. My fall back type of salad is this one: spinach, chicken, nuts or seeds, a few berries, and some crumbled cheese. Sprinkle with a little homemade sugar-free balsamic and I’ve got a pretty nice lunch in less than 5 minutes.

tossed chopped baby spinach salad on a white plate

How to make a chopped Baby Spinach Salad

As mentioned above I prefer my salad chopped than to have big pieces to deal with. I simply throw the ingredients in a large bowl and go to town with kitchen scissors. For this salad, I chopped the spinach and chicken together with this method. I sliced the strawberries by hand and just sprinkled on the other ingredients.

chopped spinach and chicken in a large bowl

How to make Maple Balsamic Dressing

I love sweet vinaigrettes. My friend Daria makes the best salad dressing ever but uses honey. I haven’t found a decent sugar-free honey substitute so I turn to low carb maple syrup when making my own sweet balsamic dressing. Just a little goes a long way.

To make maple balsamic dressing you simply combine a mild flavored oil with a little balsamic vinegar, sugar-free maple syrup, and a pinch of salt. Either shake in a mason jar or blend in a small blender to emulsify the dressing.

Don’t have sugar-free maple syrup? Use a teaspoon of your favorite powdered sweetener instead. If you’d like you can add a drop of maple extract for a maple flavor. Literally, one drop. If you use more than that the flavor will be overpowering.

maple balsamic dressing being poured over the spinach and chicken

Common Substitutions

Feel free to sub in another fresh berry instead of the strawberries. You can use gorgonzola, blue cheese, or crumbled goat cheese instead of the feta. You may also sub in any roasted salted nuts for the sunflower seeds. Pecans are my favorite.

Other Low Carb Salads

Bacon Ranch Easy Keto Chicken Salad

Cucumber Tomato Salad with Lemon Dill Dressing

Grilled Pork Tenderloin Caprese Salad Lettuce Wraps

Zucchini Salad with Lemon & Feta

overhead shot of the plate baby spinach salad with strawberries and a fork

 

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5 from 2 votes
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Baby Spinach Salad with Strawberries & Feta
Prep Time
5 mins
Total Time
5 mins
 

This Baby Spinach Salad with Strawberries & Feta is a simple chopped salad that is quick enough for lunch but can also be doubled or tripled to serve for guests as an entree salad. With the saltiness of feta cheese, the crunch of roasted sunflower seeds, and the sweetness of fresh strawberries and sugar-free Maple Balsamic Dressing it is sure to please.

Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: baby spinach salad
Servings: 2
Calories: 389 kcal
Author: Taryn
Ingredients
Sugar-Free Maple Balsamic Dressing:
  • 1.5 tbsp avocado oil (or other mild flavored oil)
  • .5 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • .5 tbsp sugar-free maple syrup
  • pinch salt
Spinach Salad:
  • 2 cups baby spinach
  • 1.5 cups cooked chicken (about 4 oz)
  • 2 strawberries (chopped)
  • 2 tbsp feta cheese
  • 2 tbsp sunflower seeds
Instructions
  1. Combine the ingredients for the dressing in a small blender or mason jar. Mix thoroughly until it is smooth and creamy.

  2. Put the baby spinach and chicken in a large bowl. Chop with kitchen scissors. Drizzle the dressing over the chopped spinach and chicken and toss well. Transfer to a serving platter.

  3. Top the tossed salad with the strawberries, feta cheese, and sunflower seeds. Toss gently if desired. Serve immediately.

Recipe Notes
  • This can serve 2 people as a side dish or 1 person for the main course.
  • You can substitute 1 tsp of your preferred powdered sweetener for the sugar-free maple syrup if you prefer.
Nutrition Facts
Baby Spinach Salad with Strawberries & Feta
Amount Per Serving (0.5 salad)
Calories 389 Calories from Fat 207
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 23g 35%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Cholesterol 104mg 35%
Sodium 335mg 14%
Potassium 539mg 15%
Total Carbohydrates 7g 2%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Sugars 3g
Protein 37g 74%
Vitamin A 57.7%
Vitamin C 18.8%
Calcium 13.6%
Iron 13.3%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

 

 

 

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Filed Under: All Recipes, Chicken, Gluten & Grain Free Recipe Archives, Low Carb & Keto Recipes Archives, Main Dishes, Sides, THM S, Trim Healthy Mama Tagged With: chicken, dinner, easy, fast, gluten free, grain free, keto, lchf, low carb, sides, thm s

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Comments

  1. Justine says

    June 4, 2019 at 1:35 pm

    That dressing was really good!

    Reply
  2. Suzy says

    June 4, 2019 at 1:09 pm

    We loved all of the flavors in this salad!

    Reply

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I'm Taryn. The kitchen has always been a joy filled place in my life. Even in the midst of dieting and weight loss food should bring JOY. I have lost over 50 pounds and enjoyed every bite.

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