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Salad | August 30, 2014

Strawberry-Avocado Spinach Salad with Copycat Brianna’s Poppyseed Dressing

Strawberry-Avocado Spinach Salad with Copycat Brianna's Poppyseed Dressing
Strawberry-Avocado Spinach Salad with Copycat Brianna's Poppyseed Dressing
Strawberry-Avocado Spinach Salad with Copycat Brianna's Poppyseed Dressing




Strawberry-Avocado Spinach Salad with Copycat Brianna’s Poppyseed Dressing: Spinach salad can take on so many different twists. You can change it up and add your stamp with your favorite cheese, fruit, cooked chicken, onions, and varieties of nuts. I made this last week for the teachers at Woods Cross High. It’s simple and always a crowd pleaser.

Strawberry-Avocado Spinach Salad with Copycat Brianna's Poppyseed Dressing
Strawberry-Avocado Spinach Salad with Copycat Brianna's Poppyseed Dressing

I love this salad made with end of summer strawberries, fresh avocado, spinach, Gorgonzola cheese and sugared almonds. The homemade poppyseed dressing tastes like Brianna’s, costs a fraction of the store bought bottle, and only takes about two minutes to mix up in a blender. Such a great salad for anything from a girl’s lunch to a family reunion.
Happy end of summer!

5 from 1 vote
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Strawberry-Avocado Spinach Salad with Copycat Brianna’s Poppyseed Dressing

A Bountiful Kitchen

Ingredients

  • 16 oz baby spinach
  • 1- pint strawberries washed, hulled and sliced
  • 1-2 avocados ripe but still slightly firm cut into chunks or sliced
  • 6-8 oz Gorgonzola or Bleu Cheese crumbled
  • 1 cups almonds sliced
  • 1/4 cup sugar+ 1 tablespoon
  • dash salt
  • Homemade Poppyseed Dressing below

ABK Copycat Brianna’s Poppyseed Dressing:

  • 1/3 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 cup cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup mayo light or regular (optional)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground dry mustard
  • 1 teaspoon grated onion white, yellow or sweet onion, optional
  • 1 cup vegetable or canola oil
  • 1 tablespoon poppy seeds

Instructions

  1. Place a sheet of foil (about 12 inches long) or parchment paper on the counter. Give the foil a light spray of cooking oil.
  2. Place the almonds and sugar in a large teflon pan over medium-medium high heat. Stir when sugar begins to heat up. It will give off a fragrance similar to cotton candy 🙂 Be careful not to turn the heat up too high, or you will burn the sugar and have to toss the almonds.
  3. Stir the almonds and sugar constantly after sugar starts to melt. This takes about 5-8 minutes to get to this point. Once sugar begins to melt or caramelize, remove pan from heat and pour onto foil or parchment paper. Sprinkle with an additional tablespoon of sugar. Let cool. Break apart when cooled if necessary.
  4. Place the spinach in a large bowl. Toss with strawberries, avocado and Gorgonzola cheese. Or place the spinach in a bowl and top with avocado, strawberries and cheese. Top with cooled sugared almonds.
  5. When ready to serve, toss with about 1/2 cup of the poppyseed dressing, or serve on the side.
  6. Serves about 6-8 as a side salad.

For the Dressing:

  1. In a blender or food processor, combine sugar, vinegar, salt, mustard and onion and process for 30 seconds.
  2. With blender or food processor on high, gradually add oil in a slow, steady stream.
  3. Stir in poppy seeds.
  4. Tips:

Recipe Notes

-If you don’t have a blender or food processor, you can make this in a large bowl using a whisk or a hand mixer.

-You may make the dressing without the mayo and add it after all of the other ingredients if you prefer. If the dressing is not as creamy as you would like, or too tart, add the mayo.

-Keeps for weeks in the refrigerator.

-This recipe is enough dressing for 3 times the salad above.

3 thoughts on “Strawberry-Avocado Spinach Salad with Copycat Brianna’s Poppyseed Dressing

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Recipe Rating




  1. This salad and dressing are delicious! I was skeptical of adding mayonnaise to the dressing… it’s SO good and doesn’t really make it creamy like I imagined it might. It adds just the right amount of substance!

  2. 5 stars
    This is one of my favorite salad recipes. It is relatively simple to make, and the homemade dressing makes it taste so great.