Strawberry and Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

It hasn't felt very Spring-y in Milwaukee lately. The cold, windy weather makes me want to stay in the covers watching movies all day. Maybe sipping cocoa. With marshmallows.

When I finally forced myself to stop whining about the winter weather, I attempted to perk things up with a Springtime salad. Fresh strawberries, juicy mandarin oranges, and a sweet-but-tangy poppy seed dressing really did the trick. Although I ate this meal in my bulky sweater with the heat on full blast, it gave me hope that these April showers may actually lead to May flowers.

Strawberry and Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing
Adapted from Food.com
Serves: 4

Dressing Ingredients:
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon juice from the can of mandarin oranges (or fresh orange juice)
1.5 teaspoons poppy seeds
Salt

Salad Ingredients:
6-8 cups baby spinach
1 can (11 ounces) mandarin orange segments (drained and juice reserved for dressing)
1 pint strawberries, sliced
1/4 cup toasted, sliced almonds (or pecans)

In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, shake together sugar and vinegar until the sugar starts to dissolve. Add olive oil, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, orange juice, poppy seeds, and salt to taste. Shake everything together until the dressing is thickened and emulsified.

Combine salad ingredients in a large bowl. Just before serving, shake the salad dressing one more time. Drizzle dressing over salad, toss, and serve.