For me, summer is all about grilling, the fall is pumpkin time, winter is carb season and spring is all about fun salads. This strawberry arugula salad is one of the best spring salads on my list. A bed of crisp greens and peppery arugula, sweet ripe strawberries, creamy crumbled goats cheese, finely chopped pecans and a great dressing to bring it all together.
I love the combination of fruit, nuts and cheese. It is truly a classic trio and having all three in one salad makes me very happy. It’s refreshing, flavorful and just perfect for a warm spring day.
Let’s get started…
To make 2 meal sized salads or 4 starter portions, gather 2 ounces of crumbled goats cheese, 2 ounces of finely chopped pecans, 2 ounces of baby arugula, 1 small thinly sliced head of romaine or leafy greens and 6-8 large thinly sliced strawberries.
I either dress this salad with one of my favorite poppyseed dressings or a simple oil and balsamic vinegar.
Now if you already have a dressing that you love, you can absolutely use that one, but if you don’t, I would suggest one of my fabulous takes on this classic dressing…
- Lemon Poppyseed Dressing – this classic is bright, citrusy and sweet
- Creamy Poppyseed Dressing – a creamy, healthy twist with greek yogurt and honey
- Pink Poppyseed Vinaigrette – a tart, tangy vinaigrette with just the right amount of sweetness
Any one of these fabulous dressings will work great with this salad, but today I am using the lemon poppyseed dressing. I love lemon and arugula together.
In a large bowl, combine 2 ounces of crumbled goats cheese, 2 ounces of finely chopped pecans, 2 ounces of baby arugula, 1 small thinly sliced head of romaine and 6-8 large thinly sliced strawberries.
Drizzle a few tablespoons of lemon poppyseed dressing over the salad and toss until everything is well combined. If you prefer more dressing, add a bit more and toss again.
If I am having this salad as a main course, I will add some shredded chicken or a nice steak into the mix, but as a light lunch or starter, this salad is simply perfect as is.
I love how bright, colorful and inviting this salad is. Just looking at it makes me happy… and hungry! A big, fluffy bed of thinly sliced and super crisp greens, crunchy pecans, creamy goats cheese and those sweet strawberries are such a wonderful combination. Every flavor works together perfectly and when that tart, tangy and sweet lemon poppyseed dressing is drizzled over the whole bowl… you can consider me occupied until my bowl is empty.
I hope you enjoy this light, cheerful springtime salad celebrating just how delicious strawberries, pecans and goats cheese taste together.
Strawberry Arugula Salad
Ingredients
- 2 ounces of goats cheese, crumbled
- 2 ounces of pecans, finely chopped
- 2 ounces of baby arugula
- 1 small head of romaine or leafy greens, thinly sliced
- 6-8 large strawberries, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup of lemon poppyseed dressing (recipe above)
- oil and balsamic (optional)
Instructions
- Combine 2 ounces of crumbled goats cheese, 2 ounces of finely chopped pecans, 2 ounces of baby arugula, 1 small thinly sliced head of romaine and 6-8 large thinly sliced strawberries in a large bowl
- Drizzle with a few tablespoons of lemon poppyseed dressing and toss to combine
- Taste and add additional dressing, if necessary
- Enjoy!
