Strawberry Salad

Strawberry Salad is refreshing, packed with vibrant and delicious ingredients, and dressed in a flavorful citrus vinaigrette.

Strawberry Salad

A few weeks ago, I had some family over for a casual dinner. We have a few vegetarians in the crowd, so I planned a veggie-packed main course and these roasted vegetables as a side, but I forgot to make a salad. So, I took a look at what I had in the fridge and ended up making this Strawberry Salad on a whim.

Turns out, this salad was the most popular dish of the night! Everyone loved it, so of course, I had to re-create it to share here!

Ingredients In Strawberry Salad

• Greens: You can use mixed green or spinach in this salad. If using spinach, I like to remove big stems.
• Fruit: Use ripe strawberries and clementines for the best sweetness.
• Pistachios: Grab dry-roasted pistachios from the store — more flavor and less effort. While you’re at it, grab the shelled.
• Cranberries: I love sweetened cranberries, dried tart cherries are another favorite.
• Feta: If you aren’t a fan of feta, try goat cheese.
• Dressing: If you’ve got time, make it ahead of time because it gets more flavorful as it sits.

This salad whips together quickly and easily. I’ll break down the process below, outline a few tips, and then give you some variation ideas for this recipe!

How To Make Strawberry Salad

1. Start with the dressing: Prepare the dressing so it can chill while you assemble everything else. The dressing can be made up to five days in advance! Store in a Mason jar in the fridge and give it a quick shake before adding to the salad.
2. Prep the fruit: Remove the tops of the strawberries and thinly slice. Here’s a guide to cut strawberries without wasting any fruit.
3. Combine: Add the prepared fruit on top of the mixed greens. Top with the rest of the ingredients: pistachios, goat cheese, and dried cranberries.

A Few Quick Tips

• Only add dressing and cheese to the salad that will be consumed the same day. Strawberry Salad doesn’t sit well with the dressing. (It will get soggy and become inedible.)
• Use fresh citrus: Bottled citrus juice won’t cut it for this recipe! The dressing depends on the fresh zest and juice from the clementines and lemon.
• Keep ingredients chilled: The colder the fruit, dressing, and lettuce are, the better the salad tastes! Keep everything in the fridge right up until you’re ready to eat.

Salad Variation Ideas

• Nuts: Swap pistachios for toasted pecans or almonds, or use candied pecans.
• Fruit: Any berry—raspberries, blueberries, or blackberries—works well with citrus.
• Cheese: Feta or blue cheese are good choices.
• Add protein: Grill chicken (try this marinade), slice it, and add to the salad.
• Avocado: Chopped or sliced avocado is a great option.
• Dressing: For a less sweet dressing, try this balsamic dressing.
• Vegan: Just skip the cheese to make it vegan.
• Whole 30: Omit the cheese and honey (in the dressing) to make it Whole 30 friendly.

Serve This Alongside

• Crock Pot Roast
• Shepherd’s Pie
• Vegetarian Chili (or a meat-filled Crockpot Chili)
• Shrimp Tacos
• Broccoli Cheddar Soup