Strawberry Spinach Salad with Lemon Poppy Seed Vinaigrette (Our Best Bites)

You’ll need a bag of spinach,

sliced fresh strawberries, red onion, and cucumbers (peeled or un-peeled, whatever your preference)…

Toasted almonds (just heat them in a small skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until they’re golden and fragrant)…

and one recipe of the Lemon Poppy Seed Vinaigrette.  If you want to add a little more protein to serve as a meal, you can also add strips of grilled chicken.

This next part is super hard.  You can arrange all the ingredients on individual plates…

or you can just shake everything together and let people serve themselves.   Either way is delicious and easy…

and a great way to use all the fresh ingredients that are starting to become available.

Lemon Poppy Seed Vinaigrette

2-3 large lemons (use as needed–you’ll need 1/3 c. juice and 1 tsp. zest)
1/4 c. rice wine vinegar
1/4 c. canola oil
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 c. sugar
2 tsp. poppy seeds
1 tsp. grated onion
1 clove finely pressed garlic
Using a Microplane or other fine grater, grate 1 tsp. lemon rind off the lemons.  Grate 1 tsp. onion.  Place in a small container with a lid.  Add the remaining ingredients and shake vigorously.  If possible, refrigerate at least an hour before serving.  Shake well before serving.