Strawberry Poppyseed Salad

Strawberry Poppyseed Salad: A show-stopping mix of sweet strawberries, creamy avocado, candied almonds, and tangy feta. The quick poppyseed dressing is the best.

Strawberry Poppyseed Salad Recipe

My little sister’s favorite restaurant growing up was always Panera. Every birthday, her lunch or dinner request was Panera, and I never complained because I loved their Broccoli Cheddar Soup and Strawberry Poppyseed Salad. Years later, we moved away and without a Panera nearby, I knew I had to recreate my favorite salad and soup.

This Strawberry Poppyseed Salad is one of my favorites because it’s the perfect mix of creamy, sweet, and crunchy. Inspired by Panera Bread®’s version, I added my own twist.

Panera’s original salad has various fruits, chicken, nuts, and poppyseed dressing. In my version, I keep the strawberries, nuts, and dressing, but swap other fruits for avocado and feta cheese. The avocado adds creaminess, and the feta cheese ties all the flavors together.

This is going to be your new go-to salad!

Ingredients In Strawberry Poppyseed Salad

• Candied Almonds: Just sugar and almonds! Watch carefully while cooking to avoid burning, and stir constantly. In a crunch you can grab these pre-made at the grocery store.
• Creamy Poppyseed Dressing: Provides a rich, tangy flavor that ties everything together. Blend well and adjust flavors before adding poppyseeds.
• Baby Spinach or Mixed Greens: This is the crisp, fresh base for the salad. Use a mix of greens or baby spinach.
• Strawberries: Adds sweetness and a burst of fruity flavor. Slice strawberries just before adding to keep them fresh and juicy.
• Avocado: Use ripe avocados and add them last to make sure they don’t brown.
• Feta Cheese: Adds a tangy, savory flavor to the strawberry poppyseed salad.

How To Make Strawberry Poppyseed Salad

1. Candied Almonds: Cook sliced almonds and sugar in a skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly until sugar melts and coats almonds. Watch carefully to avoid burning. Cool on parchment paper.
2. Dressing: Blend mayonnaise, milk, cream, sugar, vinegar, lemon zest, salt, and pepper until smooth. Adjust flavors before adding poppyseeds. Stir in poppyseeds.
3. Salad: Combine greens, sliced strawberries, diced avocado, crumbled feta, and candied almonds in a bowl. Drizzle with dressing and toss. Add avocado last to prevent browning.

What To Serve With Strawberry Poppyseed Salad

• Add Some Protein: Add Grilled chicken, Grilled Flank Steak, or Air Fryer Chickpeas to make your strawberry poppyseed salad more filling.
• Serve With Grains: Mix in some cooked Quinoa, Farro, or Brown Rice to make it heartier.
• Enjoy It Panera Style: Serve some French Bread, Dinner Rolls, or sourdough on the side. Pro tip: dredge your bread in some of the extra dressing!
• Enjoy As A Side: Serve your strawberry poppyseed salad on the side with Shepherds Pie, The Very Best Lasagna, or Short Ribs,

More Fresh Salad Recipes

• Corn Salad loaded with fresh veggies
• California Pizza Kitchen copy cat Italian Chopped Salad
• Beet and Goat Cheese Salad with roasted beets
• Honey Mustard Salad Dressing with a grilled chicken salad
• Light and tangy Greek Pasta Salad

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5 from 7 votes

Easy Strawberry Poppyseed Salad

By Chelsea Lords

Strawberry Poppyseed Salad is a fresh mix of sweet strawberries, creamy avocado, candied almonds, and tangy feta—all topped with an incredible poppyseed dressing!

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 as a side salad

Equipment

• Medium pan
• Parchment paper

Ingredients 

USMetric

 

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Stovetop Candied Almonds (see note 1)

• ▢ 1 cup sliced almonds
• ▢ 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Creamy Poppyseed Dressing

• ▢ 1/3 cup mayo full-fat
• ▢ 2 tablespoons whole milk
• ▢ 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• ▢ 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• ▢ 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• ▢ 1 lemon
• ▢ 1/8 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• ▢ 1/2 tablespoon poppy seeds

Salad

• ▢ 8 cups (5 ounces) baby spinach or mixed greens
• ▢ 2 cups strawberries stems removed and sliced
• ▢ 1 large ripe avocado diced, or 2 small avocados
• ▢ 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

Instructions 

• Candied Almonds: Place sliced almonds and sugar in a pan over medium heat. Cook and stir constantly until sugar melts and coats almonds, 3–4 minutes. Watch carefully to avoid burning. Remove from heat and continue stirring until well coated. Spread on parchment paper to cool. Once hardened, break apart and set aside.
• Dressing: Zest lemon to get 1/2 teaspoon zest. In a small blender, combine zest with all dressing ingredients except poppyseeds and blend until smooth. Adjust flavors if needed, then stir in poppy seeds.
• Salad: Add greens to a large bowl. Top with sliced strawberries, diced avocado, feta cheese, and candied almonds. Drizzle with dressing, adding only to what will be eaten the same day; toss to combine (see note 2). Enjoy immediately.

Video

Recipe Notes

Note 1: This recipe makes extra almonds. Store leftovers in an airtight container: up to 2 months in the freezer or 2–3 weeks in the pantry. Use as a snack or topping for other dishes.

Note 2: The dressing recipe makes extra dressing. Store leftovers in the fridge for 4–5 days and use for other salads or as a dip.

Storage: Dress only what will be eaten same day. Store leftover salad, dressing, almonds, and cheese separately. Cut avocado just before serving to prevent browning.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 838kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 67g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 19g | Monounsaturated Fat: 30g | Trans Fat: 0.05g | Cholesterol: 51mg | Sodium: 736mg | Potassium: 3547mg | Fiber: 24g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 44880IU | Vitamin C: 208mg | Calcium: 782mg | Iron: 16mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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