This Strawberry Feta Salad is a BRIGHT and delicious side for a summer dinner.
Filling your taste buds with crunch from the fried feta, sweetness from the strawberries, pungent and bold flavor from red onion, and the sumac dressing.
This is one of those dishes that I love bringing to a summer bbq when I want to step outside of the typically BBQ sides and impress the crowd. It's a great spinach salad with strawberries easily made for a crowd large or a small gathering.
Enjoy it with any protein, but knowing me, it's typically accompanied by a side of fresh seafood like a good grilled bourbon salmon, steamed crab, air fried fish or anything in between.
Though I served it with this Pasta al Salmone that's more of a creamy dish.
When I'm not making this salad, I love this simple tabouli salad that's great with most main dishes! And if you're a fan of beets, like I am, you have to try this pickled beet and walnut salad!
Table of Contents
HOW TO MAKE STRAWBERRY FETA SALAD
For The Sumac Dressing Ingredients
- extra virgin olive oil. To give a rich flavor.
- pomegranate molasses. This adds a bitter note that's slightly sweet. Pomegranate molasses is often used in Middle eastern/Mediterranean cuisine, and one I grew up on in salad dressing. You can look through my pomegranate molasses substitute list if you want an alternative.
- sumac. Sumac adds a great citrus punch.
- Italian seasoning. To add a little herb flavor.
- honey. To offset the strong flavor of the sumac and pomegranate molasses.
- salt. A few sprinkles to taste.
TO ASSEMBLE THE SALAD
- spinach. Use any type of spinach. Tear the bigger pieces of spinach for easy bite-sized pieces.
- strawberries. Sliced. They are absolutely a must in this salad and add so much freshness!
- red onion. Thinly sliced.
- pine nuts. Though these are optional, they add the perfect touch of nutty flavor.
TO MAKE FRIED FETA
- feta. Cut into bite-sized pieces for easy frying and eating.
- all-purpose flour. To coat feta.
- eggs. Whisked. This will be used to dip the feta in before coating in panko. Eggs are used to create a sticky surface for the crust.
- panko. Panko keeps the crust light and extra crunchy, but if you don't have any an alternative to panko is breadcrumbs. You can use gluten-free alternatives for panko as well as breadcrumbs.
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
Step 1: Make The Salad Dressing
Mix the ingredients in a small bowl and set aside to meld while you make the rest of the salad.
Step 2: Make Fried Feta
- To make Fried Feta, you will need a block of feta, all-purpose flour, egg and panko in separate bowls.
- Cut feta into cubes and run through each bowl starting with flour, then egg, then panko.
- Set aside on a plate and heat 2-3 inches of neutral oil (avocado, vegetable) in a cast-iron or your preferred skillet. I usually set my stove to medium.
- Once hot, drop a few pieces of feta into the oil and stir around until golden brown.
- Remove from oil and set on a wire rack to cool.
Step 3. Assemble the salad
In a large bowl, add spinach, strawberries, feta, onions, and nuts. Keep the dressing on the side until you're ready to serve.
FAQ
Yes. You can add chicken or salmon to this salad to add extra protein and create a meal out of it.
Though feta is the star of the show, you can substitute it for other similar types of cheese. Goat cheese is a great alternative while providing similar sharp flavor.
Yes, it absolutely is! The spinach, strawberries, pine nuts, onion, and the feta are packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Making it a very healthy option for a main salad, or a side dish for a healthy meal.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH SPINACH STRAWBERRY FETA SALAD
- Salmon. Cook your salmon how you like it and serve as the main protein with this fabulous salad as the perfect sidekick.
- White Fish. I love fish and cook them various ways, so however you like roasting, pan searing, air frying, so baking in the oven, it would work great!
- Chicken. Seasoned chicken or rotisserie are great options for a side.
- Seasoned Pork. A lemon pepper or a basic salt and black pepper seasoned pork that's pan-seared or BBQ'd would be delicious!
- A side of Hummus and pita bread are a great side. I have a tremendous Authentic Hummus recipe!
RELATED RECIPES
- Mediterranean Beet Salad with Walnuts.
- Tahini Banana Bread (great for a make-ahead breakfast, or pair for dessert with this recipe).
- Authentic Hummus.
- Lebanese baba ghanouj
- Easy Baklava for dessert!
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Strawberry Feta Spinach Salad
Ingredients
- 5-6 cups spinach
- 1 cup sliced strawberries
- ½ cup sliced red onion
- ¼ cup pine nuts optional
Fried Feta
- ½ block feta cubed
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup panko
- 2 eggs whisked
Sumac Dressing
- 4 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Pomegranate molasses
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon sumac spice
- ½ teaspoon italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix all sumac dressing ingredients and set aside for flavors to develop.
- In a large serving bowl, add spinach and top with sliced strawberries, red onion and pine nuts, which are optional.
To Make Fried Feta
- Place all-purpose flour, egg, and panko in separate bowls.
- Cut feta into cubes and run each cube through every bowl starting with flour, then egg, then panko.
- Set aside on a plate and heat 2-3 inches of neutral oil (avocado, vegetable, etc.) in a cast-iron or your preferred skillet. I set my stove to medium.
- Once hot, drop a few pieces of feta into the oil and stir around until golden brown.
- Remove from oil and set on a wire rack to cool.
- Top to the salad and toss with the dressing to serve.
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