With sweet sliced strawberries and mandarin oranges, peppery radishes, creamy avocado, fresh baby greens, and crunchy granola croutons, tossed in a tangy strawberry yogurt dressing, this Strawberry Spinach Breakfast Salad brings all of the flavors of a fruit and yogurt parfait mixed with a classic strawberry spinach salad. Ideal for your next holiday breakfast menu or weekend brunch, this healthy breakfast salad packs the nutrition and crunch to power you through your day.
I love a good salad any time of the day, but especially for lunch or even at breakfast to start my day. While the idea of salad for breakfast may sound a little weird at first, I am certain that this Strawberry Spinach Breakfast Salad is a tasty morning recipe that anyone can get behind.
This Strawberry Spinach Breakfast Salad with Granola Croutons & Strawberry Greek Yogurt Dressing is inspired by a traditional fruit and yogurt parfait meets a strawberry and spinach salad. It features sweet sliced strawberries and mandarin oranges, avocado for some richness and creaminess, crunchy homemade croutons packed with walnuts, coconut chips, and chia seeds, and thinly sliced radish for a subtle peppery bite. Topped off with a light Strawberry Greek Yogurt Dressing, this salad is light and fruity, but still hearty enough to keep you full.
What Makes This a Healthy Breakfast Salad?
Overall this salad is packed with lots of healthy ingredients, perfect for your morning meal. This includes:
- Fresh Strawberries and Mandarin Oranges: Packed with vitamins, fiber, and high levels of antioxidants called polyphenols, strawberries protect your heart, increase good cholesterol levels, lower your blood pressure, and fight against cancer. Mandarins are high in vitamins A, B, and C.
- Radishes: Rich in antioxidants and minerals like calcium and potassium, radishes can help lower high blood pressure and reduce your risks for heart disease. They are also a good source of natural nitrates to improve blood flow.
- Avocado: Rich in potassium, fiber, folate, vitamins C, E, K, and B6, and magnesium, avocados are highly nutritious. They are also a healthy source of mono-unsaturated fats.
- Spinach & Arugula: Spinach has been shown to reduce oxidative stress, lower blood pressure, improve eye health, and prevent heart disease and cancer. Both spinach and arugula are high in vitamins K and A, fiber, and iron.
While this healthy Strawberry Spinach Breakfast Salad with Strawberry Greek Yogurt Dressing is loaded with fresh fruit and veggies, the real star is these homemade Granola Croutons. With heart healthy walnuts, iron packed sunflower seeds, hearty oats, superfood chia seeds, and coconut chips, these croutons add just the right crunch and nuttiness to this Breakfast Salad. Plus the combination of oats, seeds, and nuts makes this salad even more hearty and filling.
Homemade Coconut & Chia Granola Croutons
If you are short on time, you can make this salad with your favorite store bought granola, and it will be delicious. Just be sure to keep an eye on the sugar content, as a lot of store bought granolas can have surprising amounts of added sugars.
I wanted to make the Strawberry Spinach Breakfast Salad extra special as I was making it for Mother’s day brunch, so I toasted up a simple crunchy granola to sprinkle on top. For my granola croutons, I used a combination of healthy ingredients including:
- Oats
- Walnuts (learn more about the health benefits of walnuts)
- Chia Seeds
- Sunflower Seeds (my latest obsession for sprinkling on any salad)
- Coconut Chips
- Coconut Oil
- Honey
- Cinnamon
- Salt
Just mix all of the ingredients together (except the coconut chips), spread out on a baking sheet, pressing down firmly, and bake until toasty (stirring halfway through and adding the coconut).
When the granola sets and cools, it should be crunchy and perfect to break up and sprinkle over this Breakfast Salad. You will not need the full recipe of granola for this salad, but the leftovers are great for snacking or breakfast throughout the week. The granola will keep about 2 weeks at room temperature, or you can freeze for longer storage.
Looking for More Breakfast or Brunch Recipes?
It’s no secret that I love any excuse to get together a fancy brunch or breakfast, so I have you covered with plenty of recipes for your breakfast or brunch. Here are some of my favorites to help round out your morning meal:
- Caramelized Onion, Prosciutto, Brie, & Swiss Croissant Breakfast Casserole
- White Cheddar Biscuit Waffles with Rosemary Sausage Gravy
- Ham and Cheese Frittata for Two
- Orange Honey Butter (spread this on your muffins, biscuits, or toast for a special treat)
If you make this Strawberry Spinach Breakfast Salad with Granola Croutons recipe, don’t forget to comment and rate the recipe below. You can also share your photos and tag me @NamasteHomeCooking on Facebook or @NamasteHomeCooking on Instagram. I love to hear what you think of my recipes!
Strawberry Spinach Breakfast Salad with Granola Croutons & Greek Yogurt Dressing
Ingredients
- 3 oz baby spinach – about 4 cups (or mixed baby greens – I used a spinach arugula mix)
- 1 cup sliced strawberries
- ½ cup mandarin oranges (peeled and sectioned)
- 2 medium radishes (very thinly sliced)
- 1 avocado (sliced)
- ½ cup granola (store bought or see recipe below)
Strawberry Greek Yogurt Dressing
- ¼ cup Greek Yogurt
- 3 medium sized strawberries
- 1 tbs apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbs honey
Coconut Chia Granola Croutons
- 1/3 cup coconut oil (melted)
- 1/3 cup honey
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- 3 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup walnut halves
- ½ cup sunflower seeds (unsalted)
- 1/8 cup chia seeds
- ½ cup coconut chips
Instructions
- To make the dressing, add yogurt, whole strawberries, apple cider vinegar, and honey to a small food processor or blender. Blend until smooth.
- To a large bowl or serving platter, add the spinach, sliced strawberries, mandarin segments, sliced radishes, and avocado. Sprinkle granola over top. Drizzle with dressing and toss to mix.
- Serve immediately so granola stays crunchy.
To Make the Granola
- Preheat oven to 350° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix honey, oil, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Add all of the granola ingredients other than the coconut chips.
- Spread granola mixture on the prepared baking sheet, pressing down with a rubber spatula to form a thin, even sheet.
- Bake 10 minutes. Then remove from oven, add coconut chips and stir. Press down again with rubber spatula. Bake an additional 10 minutes, keeping an eye on the granola near the end to make sure it is not browning. You want it to be a light golden color, but not too dark.
- Remove from oven, and press down once more to help the pieces stick. Let cool completely on baking sheet. When cool, break up into chucks.
- Store at room temperature for up to two weeks or freeze for longer storage.