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Strawberry salad combines summer-ripe strawberries with tender spinach, zesty arugula, caramelized almonds, and creamy goat cheese for a fresh, delicious summer salad. Top it with homemade poppy seed dressing for the perfect finish!
It’s nearly strawberry season around here and I couldn’t be more excited. Soon, the farmer’s market will be full of fresh strawberries and the u-pick farms will be open.
My step-mom and I have loved taking Elle strawberry picking in the past, and soon the baby will be big enough to go, too. I can’t wait to have our fridge overflowing with fresh, perfectly ripe berries for turning into everything from strawberry lemonade to fresh strawberry pie to this strawberry salad.
This is the kind of salad I could eat every day of the week and not get tired of it. It’s got so many great flavors and it’s as easy as can be to make!
Fresh strawberry salad made with spinach and arugula
I grew up in Ohio and here in the Midwest in the ‘80s and ‘90s, salads were pretty much always made from iceberg lettuce.
Well, unless it was potato salad or a sweet “salad” like watergate salad.
But fancy green salads weren’t a thing I really experienced until I was grown up. Now I’m all about them, though!
This strawberry salad is one of my favorite summer salads. It pairs sweet strawberries with baby spinach, peppery arugula, crumbled goat cheese and crunchy caramelized almonds.
I top it with my homemade poppy seed dressing for the perfect tangy-sweet finish.
Sometimes I will just dig into this salad for lunch, but it’s incredible as a side dish alongside grilled pork tenderloin or grilled chicken. Add a pitcher of rosé sangria and grilled pound cake for dessert and you’ve got a meal that is fit for any summer dinner party!
How to make my strawberry salad
This strawberry salad is quick and easy to throw together, so it’s great to make for a weeknight dinner or an easy lunch.
Salad components
This salad is made up of a few different components:
- Greens: I like to use a combination of baby spinach and arugula. You could also use just spinach or just arugula.
- Fruit: Fresh, summer-ripe strawberries add a burst of fruity sweetness to this salad.
- Cheese: I love crumbled goat cheese, but crumbled feta cheese would also be delicious.
- Nuts: I like to caramelize some sliced almonds before adding them to the salad. You can also just toast the almonds instead of caramelizing them.
- Dressing: My favorite dressing for this salad is my homemade poppy seed dressing. The tangy sweetness of the dressing is perfect with all of the other salad components!
Making the salad
If you want to make the caramelized almonds for your strawberry salad, start by lining a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
Melt the butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the almonds and stir to coat in the butter. Add the brown sugar and stir to combine.
While stirring constantly, let the almonds toast until the sugar has melted and the nuts are golden – this usually takes 2-3 minutes.
As soon as the almonds are just how you want them, immediately pour them onto the lined baking sheet. Don’t wait to take them out of the pan because they can go from perfect to burnt really quickly!
Just a spatula to spread the almonds into an even layer and let them cool before using them.
When you’re ready to make the salad, arrange the greens, cheese strawberries, and as many of the almonds as you like in a serving bowl. Wait to add the salad dressing until just before serving, or let guests add it themselves table-side if you like.
Ingredient substitutions
Like so many of my savory recipes, consider this recipe to be a general guideline. There are multiple ingredient swaps you can make if you don’t like something!
- Change the mix of spinach and arugula for all spinach or all arugula. If you struggle with the peppery flavor of arugula, try looking for baby arugula – it is a bit more mild.
- Swap the goat cheese for crumbled feta or even crumbled cotija cheese.
- Use toasted or candied pecans instead of the caramelized almonds.
- Even though this is a strawberry salad, that doesn’t mean you can’t use a different berry! Fresh blueberries would also be delicious.
Other dressing suggestions
Like I mentioned above, my favorite dressing for this salad is a tangy poppy seed dressing, but that doesn’t mean it’s the only salad dressing option!
Of course, you can always go with your favorite ranch dressing, but I think we can do even better than that.
Try honey vinaigrette, strawberry balsamic vinaigrette, or even greek yogurt green goddess dressing!
Strawberry Salad with Spinach and Arugula
Ingredients
For the almonds:
- ½ tablespoon salted butter
- ½ cup sliced almonds
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
For the salad:
- 2.5 ounces fresh baby spinach
- 2.5 ounces fresh arugula
- 3 ounces crumbled goat cheese
- 1 ½ cups sliced fresh strawberries
- Poppy seed dressing
Instructions
- Prepare the almonds:
- Place a sheet of parchment paper or a silicone baking mat on a rimmed baking sheet.
- In a nonstick skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Once melted, add the almonds and stir to combine. Add the brown sugar and stir to coat.
- Cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar has melted and the almonds are golden brown, 2-3 minutes.
- Immediately pour the almonds onto the lined baking sheet, using your spatula to spread them into an even layer. Allow to cool completely before adding to the salad.
- Make the salad:
- In a serving bowl, arrange the greens, goat cheese, sliced strawberries, and as many of the caramelized almonds as desired. Just before serving, dress with the poppy seed dressing or serve the dressing tableside for guests to add as they like.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
