Strawberry Spinach Salad

More strawberries! I know, I said the last one was the last one. But then I started making this salad for dinner and realized I hadn't shared it yet, so here's one more.

This is my homemade riff on one of my favorite salads from Leaf -- hands down the best salad place in Austin. If you haven't been there, check them out. You can pick and choose from their huge selection of items for your own creation, or choose one of the combinations off their menu. Their salads are generous and you will leave there full. It's a satisfying way to eat your veggies. And even my very carnivorous husband likes their salads, so it's not just girly place.

This one combines spinach, strawberries, nuts, goat cheese and a little sprinkle of bacon to put it over the top. I still had some of the strawberry mint syrup I ordered from June Taylor Jams so I used that as a base for the dressing by adding a little balsamic, olive oil and pepper. That gave it a perfect little zing. You could use any kind of bottled raspberry balsamic or even just a straight up balsamic and olive oil vinaigrette, if you like. The balsamic really compliments the berries. (I've tried making this same dressing with white balsamic and was underwhelmed.)

This is another one of those lists that's more a steering direction than a strict recipe. Add as much or as little of the ingredients or make some swops to please yourself. I think Leaf uses pecans and sunflower seeds as well as red onions on their version. I went with almonds. I also added fresh mint. And I skipped the onions. I'm not a fan of the much-overused red onion.

Note: my husband made happy sounds when eating this that I usually only hear when he's eating a Phil's chicken sandwich or a Chipotle burrito.

Spinach and Strawberry Salad

baby spinach
strawberries (organic), quartered or sliced
goat cheese, crumbled
bacon crumbles
sliced almonds, toasted
fresh mint, chopped

dressing:
(enough for 2 salads)
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
3-4 tablespoons June Taylor's strawberry mint syrup
fresh black pepper to taste

According to your whim, either compose or toss the ingredients together for your salad.

Whisk together your dressing, if making from scratch.

Enjoy!