Pat the baby spinach dry with paper towels or a clean cloth—moisture is the enemy here. Wet spinach makes the whole salad weep and become sad by dinner. This step takes two minutes and changes everything about the final texture.

Slice your strawberries into half-inch pieces while the spinach sits in a large mixing bowl. I use a sharp chef's knife at a slight angle to get pretty slices that show off the color. The cut surface catches the dressing better than whole berries would.

Whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, and lemon juice in a small bowl until the mixture looks slightly thickened. This is where taste-testing matters—the dressing should balance sweet and tangy in equal measure. Honestly, I adjust the honey up or down depending on the strawberry batch's natural sweetness.

Add salt, black pepper, and fresh mint to your dressing and stir gently. The mint should break down just enough to release its oils without turning to pulp. Let this sit for one minute while you gather the other components.

Place the spinach in a large serving bowl and pour about three-quarters of the dressing over it. Use your hands to toss gently—this is the personal touch that makes the summer strawberry spinach salad family recipe feel homemade. Work the dressing into the greens so every leaf gets coated without bruising anything.

Layer the sliced strawberries, chicken strips, crumbled feta, and almonds on top of the dressed spinach. I layer rather than toss here because it looks restaurant-quality and because Lily always prefers seeing exactly what's in her salad. The visual appeal matters when you're serving this fresh summer greens family meal.

Drizzle the remaining dressing across the top and serve immediately. If this sits more than five minutes before eating, the almonds start to soften and lose their textural contrast. This is why I tell people to wait until the last possible moment before final assembly.