Strawberry Spinach Salad

I love salads. LOVE them. In fact, one of my favorite things to order at Portillo's (if you do not live in Illinois, Arizona, Indiana, or California, I am so, SO sorry that you may not have any idea what Portillo's is -- and if you plan to visit Chicago, plan on stopping there) is their chopped salad (minus the pasta). This is saying something as it's on the menu alongside one of the best burgers that exists, cheese fries, Chicago-style hot dogs and the like. But being someone who pretty much always watches carbs, (I even watch them as they go into my mouth when I just MUST have that one cookie...or the peanut butter m&m's at the movies...or the cold, dried out, half of the soft pretzel that my daughter didn't finish at the pool) I like that I can have a really really tasty, filling, not-feeling-deprived-at-all salad while the rest of my family gorges on their beef and cheddar croissants, burgers, and onion rings (bastards).

This salad has been tops on my list for YEARS. Bear with me as you read through the ingredients as it's one of those recipes that has evolved with me over the past decade. I started out making it exactly as I had found it on allrecipes in all of it's obnoxiously sweet glory and have modified it a little bit every time I've made it. I now replace the sugar with splenda or stevia and added feta cheese somewhere along the way. I've always meant to try grilling some chicken to put on top but haven't gotten there yet -- let me know if you do!

~Leah

Strawberry Spinach Salad

Recipe Type: Salad

Author: Leah (adapted from allrecipes)

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 1 hour

Total time: 1 hour 15 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp sesame seeds


• 1 Tbsp poppy seeds


• 1/4 cup splenda or stevia (or white sugar)


• 1/2 cup olive oil


• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (or distilled white vinegar)


• 1/4 tsp paprika


• 1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce


• 1 Tbsp minced onion


• 10 ounces fresh spinach - rinsed, dried and torn into bite-size pieces


• 1 quart strawberries - cleaned, hulled and sliced


• 1/4 cup candied pecans, walnuts, almonds (you may toast them if you'd like), or any favorite nut toasted or candied


• 1/4 cup feta cheese

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, splenda or stevia (or sugar), olive oil, vinegar, paprika, Worcestershire sauce and onion. Cover, and chill for one hour.


2. In a large bowl, combine the spinach, strawberries, almonds, and cheese. Pour dressing over salad, and toss. Refrigerate 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

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