Strawberries are finally in season, and this Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad is the perfect way to celebrate. Fresh baby lettuces, ripe strawberries, and creamy goat cheese, this summer salad is perfect for these warmer months!
Strawberries are one of my very favorite fruits (along with watermelon, and nectarines, and peaches). I like fruit, what can I say? I am so happy that strawberries are back in season! Not only are they finally more affordable, but it's the time of the year that strawberries actually taste like strawberries.
This strawberry salad starts with a wonderful base of baby lettuces. Using a more tender lettuce in this salad, as opposed to an iceberg or a romaine, fits more with the delicate, light nature of the dish!
This salad comes together quickly and easily, All you need is about 5 minutes, and mostly pantry staples. It pairs real well with grilled chicken breast or air fryer salmon filets.
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Ingredients
Salad Ingredients
- baby lettuces
- goat cheese crumbles
- fresh strawberries
- cucumber
- pecans
Honey Mustard Vinaigrette
- extra virgin olive oil
- stone ground mustard
- apple cider vinegar
- honey
- salt and pepper, to taste
How to Make a Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad
Begin with the dressing: Combine all of the ingredients for the dressing in a bowl. I suggest a bowl with a tight lid, so that you can shake to combine. This is also helpful for storing any leftover dressing that you don't use.
Prepare your fruit: Wash and chop your strawberries and cucumber. I like to peel part of the skin off the the cucumber before slicing it, but that is totally a preference thing!
Plate your salad: Whether you are preparing this to serve for a group, or one serving for yourself, place greens down first in a large salad bowl or platter. Then top with strawberries, cucumber, pecans, and crumbled goat cheese.
Recipe Tip
Pour on the dressing immediately before serving so that the lettuce doesn't get soggy.
Variations and Substitutions
As I often say with most recipes, this salad can be adjusted to suit your tastes. Here are some easy add-ins/adjustments.
- Switch up the lettuce: Instead of baby lettuces, try baby arugula, baby spinach, butter lettuce, or red leaf lettuce.
- Switch up the toppings: Try adding feta, gorgonzola, almonds, sunflower seeds, red onion, mandarin oranges, or other fruits, either in place of or in addition to the ingredients already included.
- Switch up the dressing: This salad also pairs well with poppyseed dressing, balsamic vinaigrette, or champagne balsamic (Brianna's brand makes a nice one).
Recipe FAQs
In this particular recipe, feta cheese or bleu cheese would be good replacements for goat cheese crumbles.
When frozen strawberries thaw, they are a lot softer and more liquidy than fresh. This will affect the texture of the salad, but not the taste.
more salad recipes
Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad
Ingredients
- 4 cups baby Mixed Lettuces
- ¼ cup 2 oz. Goat Cheese
- 2 cups fresh strawberries halved or quartered
- ½ cucumber sliced
- ¼ cup chopped pecans
Honey Mustard Vinaigrette
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup stone Ground mustard
- salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbs. honey
Instructions
- Place bed of greens down on serving platter.
- Top with strawberries, cucumber, crumbled goat cheese, and chopped pecans.
- To make dressing: In a small bowl or container with a lid, combine vinaigrette ingredients until well combined. Top salad with desired amount of dressing and serve immediately.
Nutrition
joanne says
a showstopper usually do poppyseed dressing but will try new idea .and spinach going to use baby lettuce too..I bet children will like because its soeye pleasing
Sarah says
Thanks, Gram! Spinach is great too!
TRINITY F GORZ says
yummy yumm yumm! can't wait to try this!!!
Sarah says
Let me know how it goes!