Gorgeous summer strawberry spinach salad topped with basil arugula pesto bocconcini, toasted pistachios, fresh strawberries, jumbo grilled shrimp and drizzled with a homemade poppy seed dressing. The best strawberry salad you’ll ever make that’s perfect for lunch.  

One of our go-to summer salads that’s light and refreshing, perfect for those hot summer days where you don’t want to eat something heavy. The salad also works well as a side to grilled burgers or sausages on the Q. All you need is a few simple ingredients.

It’s honestly a flavor explosion. You have sweet strawberries that are juicy and just pop with every bite, tangy poppy seed dressing, a little bit of spice from the grilled shrimp which we seasoned with Calabrian Chilies, Tajin and lime juice, creamy bocconcini that we tossed in basil arugula pesto that adds earthy flavors to the salad and freshness and crunchy pistachios… you get the picture. This is one of those salads that makes me think summer is finally here and I want to eat as much fresh produce as possible and pack it all up into one delicious meal.

We added some jumbo grilled shrimp to give the salad a boost of protein, its completely optional, if you serve it as a side no need for protein but if you are serving this as a main you can swap out the shrimp for grilled chicken, chickpeas, or grilled salmon.

If you make this salad be sure to tag us #thecommunalfeast on Instagram. We love to see what you guys have been making.

@thecommunalfeast

Print Recipe

SUMMER STRAWBERRY SPINACH SALAD

Gorgeous summer strawberry spinach salad topped with basil arugula pesto bocconcini, toasted pistachios, fresh strawberries, jumbo grilled shrimp and drizzled with a homemade poppy seed dressing. The best strawberry salad you’ll ever make that’s perfect for lunch.  

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time5 minutes mins

Total Time15 minutes mins

Course: Salads

Servings: 4

Author: the communal feast

Ingredients

• 1 package 5oz spinach
• Handful of arugula
• 6 oz strawberries halved (1 ½ cups)
• 1 cup mini bocconcini balls
• 2 tbsp basil arugula pesto
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• ¼ cup toasted pistachios shelled and chopped
• 1 lbs jumbo raw shrimp peeled and deveined
• 1 tsp Calabrian chili oil
• Juice from 2 limes
• 1 tbsp Tajin
• Poppy seed dressing:
• ½ cup olive oil
• 2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp onion powder
• Pinch of salt & pepper
• 4 tsp poppy seeds
• Juice from 1 lemon

Instructions

• 1. Combine all the dressing ingredients in a jar with a lid and shake vigorously
• 2. Heat the grill to medium high heat
• 3. Once the shrimp has thawed, toss it in lime juice, chili oil and Tajin. Skewer the shrimp and grill for 2-3 minutes per side depending on how large the shrimp is. Remove from grill and set aside
• 4. Toss the bocconcini balls in the basil pesto along with a splash of olive oil.
• 5. assemble the salad, add the spinach, arugula, toasted pistachios, bocconcini, and strawberries. Drizzle the poppy seed dressing and add the shrimp.

Notes

To make basil arugula pesto: Add the following to a food processor and slowly drizzle in olive oil until everything is blended. When finished add a bit more olive oil to help loosen the pesto.

Handful of basil, handful of arugula, 1/2 cup spinach, 1/4 cup pine nuts, 1/3 cup Parmesan, juice from 1 lemon, 2 garlic cloves, salt + pepper