My favorite Strawberry Salad made with leafy greens, fresh strawberries, candied walnuts, and creamy goat cheese all tossed with a rich and tangy maple balsamic dressing!
Oh how I love a good salad and this is one I hope you will add to your weekly meal rotation! There is just something so delicious about fresh, juicy strawberries and tangy balsamic vinegar, it’s like they were made for each other. While this strawberry salad recipe is one of my favorites in the spring and summer months because it’s loaded with vibrant strawberries, this also makes a delicious fall salad thanks to all that sweet maple flavor!
Why You’ll Love this Salad
- Sweet strawberries paired with rich balsamic vinaigrette make this salad sweet, savory and absolutely delicious!
- Can easily be prepped ahead of time for quick assembly.
- This maple balsamic herb dressing needs to be a staple in your kitchen this season!
- You can also easily customize this salad to your liking. See the different variations below.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Mixed greens – I used a mixture of arugula and baby spinach leaves, but feel free to use any leafy green lettuce that you prefer
- Strawberries – ripe strawberries taste amazing with the balsamic dressing, but you could also use raspberries, blueberries or even chopped apples or pears
- Crumbled cheese – I used crumbled goat cheese, but feta cheese, gorgonzola or even blue cheese all would taste great in this salad. To keep this vegan, simply omit the cheese altogether or use your favorite vegan option
- Candied walnuts – these add a nice crunch to the salad and even more maple goodness! You could also use chopped pecans, almonds or cashews
- Maple Balsamic Dressing – made with a combination of balsamic vinegar, olive oil, maple syrup, Dijon mustard and fresh herbs
Maple Balsamic Dressing (the BEST!)
I absolutely LOVE this maple balsamic dressing and it is truly what makes this salad so amazing! This dressing is rich, tangy and easily made with just 5 simple ingredients – balsamic vinegar, olive oil, maple syrup, Dijon mustard and fresh herbs. Not only does this dressing taste great on salads, but I love to drizzle it on veggies, use it as a marinade for chicken, fish or steak, toss it in pasta salads, and so much more. You can also make this right in your blender in less than 5 minutes! I always make my own salad dressings right at home because I typically already have all the ingredients on hand in my pantry or fridge, it’s budget-friendly and honestly just tastes so much better than the bottled stuff from the store.
Can this Salad be Prepped in Advance?
Absolutely! In fact I love prepping everything in advance so that I can easily throw this salad together for an easy lunch or as a delicious side dish with my dinner. In order for the lettuce to stay fresh and prevent wilting, I like to store everything in separate containers until ready to assemble.
- Slice up all the strawberries and store in a sealed, airtight container in the fridge.
- Make the candied maple walnuts ahead of time and make sure they cool completely before storing.
- Blend together the ingredients for the maple balsamic dressing and store in sealed a mason jar in the fridge. Just before serving, let the dressing sit at room temp for about 10 minutes to let the oil become liquid again and give the dressing a good shake to mix everything together.
Customize this Strawberry Salad!
- Not a fan of balsamic vinegar? Try this poppy seed dressing or this lemon dijon herb dressing.
- Swap out the arugula for some baby spinach to make a delicious strawberry spinach salad!
- You can easily make this salad vegan by omitting the goat cheese (or using a vegan option).
- Instead of strawberries, you could try raspberries, blueberries, blackberries or even chopped apples or pears.
- Make this salad more filling by adding nutritious grains like quinoa, rice or farro.
- I used candied walnuts in this, but feel free to use any nuts you’d like such as chopped pecans, almonds or cashews.
- Other additions include creamy avocado, crisp red onion, sliced cucumber or even shredded chicken for some added protein.
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More Salad Recipes You’ll Love
- Healthy Greek Salad
- Chinese Chicken Salad
- My Favorite Detox Salad
- Fall Salad with Maple Tahini Dressing
- Roasted Sweet Potato, Quinoa and Kale Salad
Hope you all enjoy this Strawberry Balsamic Salad and if you love this as much as we do, please leave me ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using the hashtag #eatyourselfskinny! I love seeing all your delicious recreations!
Strawberry Balsamic Salad
Ingredients
- 6 cups mixed greens, I used baby spinach and arugula mix
- 2 cups strawberries, sliced
- 1/4 cup goat cheese, crumbled
- 1/4 cup candied maple walnuts
- maple balsamic herb dressing, recipe
- Cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Make the candied walnuts and let them cool completely (you could also do this the day before if prepping this salad).
- Combine all the ingredients for the maple balsamic dressing in a blender and process until smooth or simply whisk together everything in a mason jar until emulsified.
- To make the salad, toss together the mixed greens, strawberries, goat cheese and candied walnuts in a large bowl. Drizzle the maple balsamic dressing over top of the salad and give it a good toss or drizzle it over individual portions when serving. Season with cracked black pepper, if desired, and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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