This simple strawberry spinach salad with cornbread croutons make for a perfect side dish to a summer meal or add some protein for an entrée-sized salad.

I’m a little bummed to be sharing this recipe. Not because I don’t like it I do – I would never share something I didn’t like! But today’s post was supposed to be a sweet and savory cornmeal pancake recipe. Unfortunately I just can’t get the recipe right yet, so no pancakes are happening today. But I promise I’m not giving up on my cornmeal pancake dream!

However, I did discover that tossing day-old cornbread with a little olive oil and baking it for 10-15 minutes gives you delicious cornbread croutons! And while I love me a big salad with a bunch of ingredients, life has been crazy lately making me want some simplicity. As a result, this salad is just summer-fresh strawberries, roasted cornbread, spinach, and a homemade honey apple cider vinegar dressing. Feel free to jazz it up though – I think sliced almonds would be delicious! To turn this from a side salad to an entrée, simply add a protein source such as grilled chicken or steak, or for a vegetarian option you could add roasted chickpeas or tofu.

So here’s a toast to keeping it simple!

Print Recipe

Simple Strawberry Spinach Salad with Cornbread Croutons

This simple strawberry spinach salad with cornbread croutons make for a perfect side dish to a summer meal or add some protein for an entrée-sized salad.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time10 mins

Total Time20 mins

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Healthy Salad

Servings: 4

Author: Kelli

Ingredients

• ½ batch cornbread preferably a day or two old
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ¼ tsp pepper
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 pint strawberries washed and sliced
• 1 10- oz package baby spinach rinsed and dried
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tsp honey
• Pinch of each black pepper sweet paprika, granulated garlic and salt
• Option: 4 servings of chicken steak, tofu, or chickpeas

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375F and cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Cut leftover cornbread into 1” cubes and place in large mixing bowl. Toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil, ¼ tsp pepper, and ¼ tsp salt. Place cornbread onto the prepared baking sheet in a single layer.
• Bake for 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned.
• In a mason jar or mixing bowl prepare your dressing by whisking ¼ cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 1 tsp mustard, 2 tsp honey, and seasonings. Taste and adjust flavors as desired.
• To assemble salad, place spinach in a large serving bowl. Add diced strawberries and cooked cornbread croutons. When ready to serve, toss salad with dressing. Enjoy! Option to add a protein source for an entrée salad. I recommend either grilled chicken or steak for an omnivore option or roasted tofu or chickpeas for vegetarians.