Strawberry Feta Salad with Poppy Seed Granola
Published Apr 16, 2024•Updated Jul 18, 2024
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Let’s take a classic Strawberry, Spinach, Feta Salad and give it an updated twist with a topping of poppy seed granola. Just call me Goldilocks, but this granola is not too sweet, not too savory, it’s just right. And it adds a ton of flavor and crunch to this salad.
I’ve been experimenting with this granola for weeks, wanting to get something that holds its shape and has enough crunch to be better than anything else that you could add to this springy salad combo. And I totally found it. This granola was so good that everyone in my household was eating it off the pan before I could get it on the salad to photograph it, but you’ll want to have this all together.
Put this one out at your next brunch, spring gathering, or just serve it for dinner with grilled chicken or steak. It feels special enough that you don’t need much else on the table to make the meal feel complete. But did I mention that it’s super easy too? Here’s all you need.
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Poppy Seed Granola
This savory-sweet granola is not quite like the granola that you might be used to putting on your yogurt, though it would be right at home in that context. This granola bakes up in a flat sheet – resist the urge to stir it while it cooks, and once it has cooled on the pan, you can break it apart into any size chunks that you want to serve on your salad. It gives this salad a fun look and every bite is full of texture. Here’s what you’ll find in this easy granola.
- Cooking Oil – Just any neutral oil will do the trick. (I’m an avocado oil fan.)
- Sweetener – Honey helps this to stick together. Maple syrup or agave will work as substitutes, but the granola might not hold together as well.
- Salt – Don’t forget a little salt to balance the sweetness. You don’t want this to be too sweet since the salad has naturally sweet flavor from strawberries and balsamic vinaigrette.
- Rolled Oats, Sunflower Seeds, Slivered Almonds, Poppy Seeds – These are the filler of choice for this granola. So much crunch!
Strawberry Feta Salad
The rest of this salad is as straight-forward as can be. Fresh spinach, creamy feta, and ripe sweet strawberries. I think Balsamic Vinaigrette fits just here with its tart-sweet flavor, but choose your favorite. Other options I could see working are:
I can’t wait for you to try this one!
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Strawberry Feta Salad with Poppy Seed Granola
Equipment
- Half Sheet Pan
- Parchment Paper
- Mixing Bowls
- Whisk
Ingredients
Poppy Seed Granola:
- 1/4 cup cooking oil
- 1/4 cup honey, maple syrup, or agave syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups rolled old-fashioned oats
- 1/2 cup roasted unsalted sunflower seeds
- 1/2 cup slivered almonds
- 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
Balsamic Vinaigrette:
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon dried herbs
- 1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
Salad:
- 8 ounces baby spinach
- 3 cups strawberries, quartered
- 4 ounces feta, crumbled
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the cooking oil, honey, and salt. Stir in the oats, sunflower seeds, slivered almonds, and poppy seeds.
- On the prepared baking sheet, spread the granola evenly in a thin layer, about ¼-inch thick. Use the flat side of a measuring cup to ensure it is an even layer and help everything begin to stick together.
- Bake without stirring, until golden brown and toasty, 25 to 35 minutes.
- When the granola is done baking, let it cool to room temperature without removing it from the pan. Once cool, break it apart into pieces.
- To make the vinaigrette, in a small mixing bowl or glass jar, whisk together balsamic vinegar, mustard, honey, and dried herbs. Slowly add in 1/3 cup olive oil while whisking. (Note: You can also combine all ingredients in a jar with a lid and shake it well or blend everything using a blender.) Whisk in salt and some black pepper.
- Assemble the salad with a bed of spinach topped with strawberries and crumbled feta. Drizzle the salad with some of the vinaigrette. Break the granola into pieces and crumble it over top. Serve extra vinaigrette on the side.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This just brought back wonderful memories of a restaurant I used to frequent in Chicago 20 years or so that had the best salad. It was so similar to this one except I think they used goat cheese instead of feta and usually topped it with grilled chicken. I didn’t know how much I missed that salad until I saw this recipe. Going to make it shortly!
Oh yay! I love hearing that! I hope it lives up to those memories. Chicken would be a great addition o top…