Trim root ends of baby onions and peel outer skins. If onions are large, halve them; if very small leave whole. Rinse baby spinach, spin or pat dry thoroughly and transfer to a large mixing bowl.

Preheat

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) if you prefer to finish crumble in oven, or plan to toast crumble in a skillet on medium heat.

Make the Toasted Sunflower Crumble

Toast seeds and panko

Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add sunflower seeds and cook, stirring frequently, until they become fragrant and begin to color lightly, about 3–4 minutes. Add panko breadcrumbs and continue to toast, stirring, for another 2 minutes until golden.

Finish crumble

Reduce heat to low, add butter, smoked paprika and 1/4 tsp salt. Stir constantly until butter melts and evenly coats seeds and panko, about 30–45 seconds. Remove from heat and transfer crumble to a small bowl to stop cooking and keep crisp.

Cook Baby Onions

Caramelize or roast onions

Option A - skillet: In the same skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 tbs olive oil (from dressing amount) and add baby onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until surfaces are browned and onions are tender, about 8–10 minutes. Sprinkle a pinch of salt while cooking. Option B - oven: Toss onions with 1 tbs olive oil and a pinch of salt on a sheet pan and roast at 400°F (205°C) for 15–20 minutes until softened and lightly caramelized. Allow onions to cool slightly.

Optional glaze

If desired, deglaze the skillet with 1 teaspoon lemon juice and a drizzle of honey during the last minute of cooking to create a light glazed coating on the onions.

Make the Toasted Coat Dressing

Whisk vinaigrette

In a small bowl or jar, combine 3 tbs olive oil, 1.5 tbs white wine vinegar, 0.75 tbs Dijon mustard, 0.5 tsp honey, 0.5 tsp salt and 0.25 tsp black pepper. Whisk or shake vigorously until emulsified. Stir in half the lemon zest and 1/2 tsp lemon juice (from the 1/2 lemon). Taste and adjust seasoning to balance acidity and salt.

Assemble Salad

Dress spinach

Drizzle about two-thirds of the dressing over the spinach in the large bowl. Toss gently but thoroughly to coat leaves evenly. Add more dressing only if needed to taste.

Add onions and cheese

Nestle the warm caramelized/roasted baby onions into the dressed spinach. Sprinkle crumbled feta (or goat cheese) evenly over the salad so warm onions slightly soften the cheese for extra creaminess.

Top with crumble and finish

Scatter the toasted sunflower-panko crumble generously over the salad for crunch. Finish with remaining lemon zest, freshly ground black pepper and an optional final drizzle of any leftover dressing.