Strawberry Salad combines sweet berries, juicy oranges, tart cranberries, and the most flavorful citrus dressing for the ultimate salad.
Author’s Notes
The Last-Minute Salad That Stole the Show!
A few weeks ago, I had family over for dinner.
I planned one of our go-to favorites—shepherd’s pie—with roasted veggies on the side… then realized I completely forgot a salad.
So I dug through the fridge and threw this Strawberry Salad together last-minute—and it ended up being the one thing everyone couldn’t stop talking about. It disappeared fast, and I knew I had to re-create it to share here!
The dressing is borrowed from my reader-favorite mandarin orange salad, and let me tell you—it’s so good with strawberries. Can’t wait to hear what you think!
Strawberry Salad Ingredients
| Ingredient | Notes & Swaps |
|---|---|
| Greens | Use mixed greens or spinach in this salad. |
| Fruit | Use ripe strawberries and clementines for the best sweetness. |
| Pistachios | Use shelled, dry-roasted for more flavor with no extra work. |
| Cranberries | Sweetened cranberries work great; try dried tart cherries too. |
| Feta | Swap with goat cheese if you prefer. |
| Dressing | Make ahead if possible; flavor gets better as it sits. |
Featured Comment
“I made this salad last night, and it was absolutely delicious…The dressing was tangy but smooth and the entire combination was just amazing. Husband wouldn’t shut up about how good it was. I rarely leave reviews on recipes but this was so good I felt compelled to. Thank you!”
– Nicole
How To Make This Strawberry Salad Recipe
- Dressing: Make dressing first so it can chill while you prep. It can be made up to 5 days ahead—store it in a Mason jar and shake before using.
- Fruit: Hull and thinly slice the strawberries. Here’s a guide to cut strawberries.
- Assemble: Add strawberries, then top with pistachios, cheese, and cranberries.
Quick Tip
To keep strawberries fresh, remove them from the plastic container, line it with a paper towel, and layer the berries with more towels in between. Don’t wash them until you’re ready to eat.
A Couple Quick Tips
- Use fresh citrus: Fresh zest and juice make all the difference—skip the bottled stuff.
- Keep it cold: Strawberry salad tastes best when the fruit, dressing, and greens are nice and chilled.
Variations
- Nuts: Try walnuts, pecans, almonds, or candied pecans.
- Add a grain: Try quinoa or farro.
- Add protein: Grill chicken (try this marinade), slice it, and add it in.
- Other additions: Add avocado for creaminess or red onion for some bite.
- Dressing: For a less sweet dressing, try this balsamic vinaigrette.
Storage
Only add the dressing and cheese to what you’ll eat the same day—Strawberry Salad gets soggy fast once dressed.
More Salad Recipes To Love:
Green Salads
Garden Salad
Fruit Salads
Peach Fruit Salad
Salads
Apple Salad Recipe
Salads
Italian Salad Recipe
Strawberry Salad
Equipment
- Food processor or blender
Ingredients
- 10 ounces spring mix lettuce blend or fresh spinach
- 1 pound strawberries hulled and thinly sliced
- 4 clementine oranges peeled and separated into segments
- 3/4 cup dried cranberries
- 3/4 cup pistachios shelled and coarsely chopped
- 3/4 cup crumbled goat cheese or feta
- 3 to 4 clementine oranges
- 1 large lemon
- 2-1/2 tablespoons honey
- 2 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup olive oil
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the lettuce, strawberries, clementines, and cranberries.
- Zest and juice the citrus to get 2 tsp orange zest, ½ tsp lemon zest, 4 Tbsp orange juice, and 2 Tbsp lemon juice.Add zest, juice, honey, Dijon, and salt to a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth. Slowly stream in the olive oil and pulse just until emulsified. Don’t over-blend.
- (This salad is best served immediately after it’s dressed, so wait to add dressing until you’re ready to serve.) Drizzle dressing on to taste (you may not need all of it), then top with pistachios and cheese. Toss gently and serve right away.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Strawberries, clementines, nuts for crunch topped with 3 GRILLED SHRIMP. Anxious to make this recipe again.
Delish! I’m so thrilled this strawberry salad was a hit! Thanks Carole!
Hi! Do you think this salad would work with the only fruit being strawberries and marionberries? I have family coming Sunday and can’t decide if the dressing would work with the marionberries. Thanks so much!
Yes that should work great! I hope you enjoy!
This was so good! I belong to a salad group and prepared this for 8 people. The dressing is delicious!!!–I made extra and am excited to serve it on another salad. Also, I added chicken and a few pumpkin seeds, and I used some blueberries for a few of the strawberries. Also used feta–we don’t like goat cheese. I will definitely serve this again, with or without the chicken.
I love that you made this for your salad group! So glad it was a hit! Your additions sound delicious, especially the chicken and pumpkin seeds! And I love that you made extra dressing for another salad. Thanks so much for sharing!