This strawberry goat cheese salad is incredible! It is packed with ripe sweet strawberries, savory goat cheese, fresh crunchy cucumbers, thinly sliced red onions, and crispy pecans.

This salad is tossed with the ultimate strawberry balsamic vinaigrette that is made with fresh strawberries. I am sure this will become one of your favorite salads. It is perfect for a light meal or a side salad.

Why You Will Love Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad

It is a delicious and incredibly fresh salad.
The flavors of strawberries and goat cheese complement each other very well.
Soft, creamy goat cheese pairs perfectly with sweet, juicy strawberries.
We have up-leveled the balsamic vinaigrette by adding fresh strawberries!
There are fresh strawberries in this salad and the strawberry balsamic vinaigrette.

Ingredients Needed And Substitutions

For The Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad

Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad Ingredients

Spinach: We used a bag of spinach for this salad.
Goat Cheese: Use creamy fresh goat cheese in this recipe.
Strawberries: You will need one box of fresh strawberries for this recipe. Reserve four strawberries for the vinaigrette and slice the remaining strawberries lengthwise vertically.
Cucumber: Peel and thinly dice an English cucumber. Also, remove the seeds of the cucumber. Cucumber adds a crunch to this salad.
Red Onion: Use half of a small red onion. Carefully use a mandoline with the guard to thinly slice the red onion.
Pecans: Roughly chop the pecans so they are evenly distributed throughout the salad. You can use candied pecans or regular pecans.

For The Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette

Olive Oil: Use extra virgin olive oil for the vinaigrette.
Balsamic Vinegar: You will need balsamic vinegar for this balsamic vinaigrette.
Strawberries: Use the four fresh strawberries you set aside. The strawberries give this balsamic vinaigrette an incredible strawberry flavor.
Honey: Sweetens the vinaigrette and adds flavor.
Salt: To enhance the flavors.
Pepper: To season the vinaigrette.
Garlic: We used granulated garlic because the garlic flavor is less strong. However, you could use fresh crushed garlic instead. Either one will work.
Mustard: Use stone-ground mustard or Dijon mustard.
Lemon Juice: Freshly squeeze some lemon juice. Lemon juice brightens the vinaigrette.

What Lettuce To Use

We used a bag of spinach to make this salad. You can use spinach, baby spring mix, or arugula. Also, you can use a combination of these.

What Goat Cheese To Use

Make sure to use fresh creamy goat cheese. We used the Chevere creamy fresh goat cheese from Trader Joe’s. We used plain goat cheese. For another flavor, you could use herbed goat cheese or garlic goat cheese. Also, you can use light goat cheese.

How To Make Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad

First, wash and dry the fresh strawberries. Then, cut the stems off and slice them lengthwise vertically.

After that, peel the cucumber and thinly dice it. Then, carefully use a mandoline with a guard to thinly slice the red onion. Also, roughly chop the pecans.

Next, add the spinach to a large salad bowl. Then, crumble the goat cheese as you add it to the bowl. After that, add the strawberries, cucumber, red onions, and pecans to the bowl.

Then, make the strawberry balsamic vinaigrette. Add the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, three to four fresh strawberries, honey, salt, pepper, garlic, stone-ground mustard, and fresh lemon juice to a blender and thoroughly blend.

After that, pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss the salad. Serve the salad on plates and enjoy!

Tips For Making Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad

Slice the strawberries lengthwise vertically. Try to cut the strawberries into the same size pieces.
Thinly slice the red onion. You don’t want to overpower the salad with too much red onion. Very carefully use a mandoline with a guard to thinly slice the red onion.
Roughly chop the pecans. It helps evenly disperse them throughout the salad while using less of them.
Blend the vinaigrette. It is important to use a blender to blend all of the ingredients for the vinaigrette since there are fresh strawberries in it.
Crumble the goat cheese into small pieces so that it is evenly distributed throughout the salad.
Pour the vinaigrette over the salad when you are ready to serve so the salad doesn’t get soggy.

How To Store

This strawberry goat cheese salad is best enjoyed right after making it. Once the salad is dressed, it will get soggy if not eaten right away. Depending on how much dressing you add, you may have some leftover strawberry balsamic vinaigrette. You can store the vinaigrette in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Then, just make this salad again and pour the vinaigrette over top. Also, you can cut more cucumbers, slice more onions, and cut more strawberries to store in air-tight containers in the refrigerator so you can easily make this salad again.

Recipe Variations

Nuts: Pecans add great flavor to this salad. If you don’t want to use pecans, you can substitute them for walnuts. To make this salad nut-free, omit the nuts altogether.
Add Protein: There are many ways you can add protein to this salad. You could add chopped grilled chicken, sliced grilled steak, or cooked shrimp.
Fresh Fruit: In a pinch if you do not have fresh strawberries or if they are not in season, you could substitute them for fresh raspberries or fresh blueberries.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad Healthy?

Yes, this strawberry goat cheese salad is healthy! This salad is made with spinach, fresh strawberries, goat cheese, cucumber, onion, and pecans. Also, the strawberry balsamic vinaigrette is made with simple and healthy ingredients.

Can This Salad Be Made Ahead Of Time?

This salad is best enjoyed fresh after making it. You could make it ahead of time the day you are going to eat it. However, do not pour the vinaigrette over the salad until you are ready to serve. The salad will get soggy if you let it sit once dressed. You could prep the cucumber, strawberries, onion, and vinaigrette so it is easy to assemble. Store these ingredients in the refrigerator in airtight containers and then assemble the salad when you are ready to eat it.

Is Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad Gluten-Free?

Yes, this strawberry goat cheese salad and homemade strawberry balsamic vinaigrette are naturally gluten-free.

What Can I Substitute For Goat Cheese?

While this salad is meant to be enjoyed with goat cheese, the best substitute for it would be fresh crumbled feta cheese.

More Salads To Try Next!

Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad With Pecans
Apple Cabbage Salad With Maple Vinaigrette
Strawberry Vinaigrette
Buffalo Chicken Salad Recipe
Healthy Caesar Salad Dressing
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