This Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad is one of my absolute faves! It is the perfect balanced salad, with sweet strawberries, crunchy cucumber, fresh herbs, sweet and sharp pickled onions, walnuts, tangy goat cheese, and a creamy balsamic dressing. You will be eating this one all summer long.
Jump to:
- Ingredient Notes & Possible Substitutions
- How to Make the Creamy Balsamic Dressing
- How to Make Maple Candied Walnuts
- How to Make this Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad
- What I Love about this Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad
- Storage
- Diet Types
- Recipe Tips
- Related Recipes
- Other Great Recipes
- Did you try this Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad?
- 📖 Recipe
I'm a salad gal, and this salad is my go-to. I love a salad with sweet elements, fresh herbs and nuts. This salad has it all, along with pickled onions (which is my current obsession this summer). Paired with an absolutely perfect, dairy-free creamy balsamic dressing. There really is nothing better to pair with a steak or grilled chicken.
Ingredient Notes & Possible Substitutions
Romaine Lettuce
I use chopped romaine lettuce, and generally will go for some type of crunchy greens with a high water content for this salad. It tastes so fresh! Baby greens like spring mix, baby kale or baby spinach can also be used. Baby greens will not need to be chopped.
Strawberries
Fresh, in-season strawberries will always provide the best flavor. That is why this salad is best in the summer because ripe, sweet strawberries are so much more flavorful.
English Cucumber
For this recipe, I prefer to dice the cucumber fairly small (about ¼-inch cubes). This allows you to distribute it more evenly so it adds a nice crunch through the salad. English cucumbers are my favorite because they have a tender skin and are not super watery. Regular cucumber can be used but should be peeled and seeded before dicing.
Avocado
A perfectly ripe avocado is key! Look for avocados with a dark green color (not quite black) and press your thumb lightly into the skin. It should have a little give but not complete indent when you press into it. If your avocado is too hard, you can place it in a brown paper bag along with some ethylene producing fruit (like bananas, melons, apples or peaches). Fold the bag over and let it ripen on the counter for a few days.
Candied Walnuts
In this recipe, I show you how to make quick candied walnuts sweetened with maple syrup. To simplify the recipe or make it less sweet, you can use regular raw or toasted walnuts. Pecans also work!
Goat Cheese
A creamy chèvre is what you need for this salad! I use unflavored chèvre, but flavored options are great too! Choose a flavor that complements the other elements in the salad, like herb, strawberry or honey goat cheese.
Pickled Red Onions
Pickled red onions are my favorite new addition to any salad. They are sweet and tangy, and not quite as sharp as raw red onions. Try these Balsamic Pickled Onions. They can be made in only about 15 minutes of active time, and the onions are ready to eat in an hour! Raw red onion can be used as a substitute, but I prefer a shallot if you are skipping the pickled onions.
Fresh Herbs
The fresh mint and basil are not absolutely necessary, but they make this salad over-the-top delicious. Fresh herbs add so much life to a salad, and if you have access to them, add them!
How to Make the Creamy Balsamic Dressing
This Creamy Balsamic Dressing is phenomenal and the perfect pairing for this salad. It only takes about 5 minutes to make, and yields about 1 full cup so you will likely have leftovers. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge and use it through the week! Here is how to make it:
- Simply place all ingredients in a small mixing bowl and whisk together until completely smooth with not lumps (it can also be made in a blender!).
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
How to Make Maple Candied Walnuts
These candied walnuts are free of refined sugar, simple to make and add the perfect sweet and salty crunch to the salad. Here is how to make them:
- Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a small skillet and heat over medium heat.
- Add the walnuts to the skillet and toast for about 1 minute, stirring occasionally with a rubber spatula.
- Add the maple syrup and salt to the nuts, stirring to coat. Continue to cook, stirring continuously. The maple syrup will begin to bubble and start sticking to the nuts as you stir. Keep the heat at a low-medium to prevent burning. As it cooks, you will notice less maple syrup in the pan and more sticking to the walnuts. Once the syrup becomes extremely viscous and most is adhered to the nuts, remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
- As the nuts cool, toss several more times to ensure that they are fully coated in the maple syrup.
- Once cooled, coarsely chop the nuts and reserve for the salad.
How to Make this Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad
This Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad is simple to make and can be done in under 15 minutes. Here's how:
- Prepare the ingredients: If using romaine, chop the lettuce into small bite-sized pieces. Hull and quarter the strawberries lengthwise. Chop the cucumber into ¼-inch cubes. Peel and dice or slice the avocado. Chop the pickled onions to about 1-inch slices. Finely chop the mint and basil.
- Plate the greens on a large serving dish. I don't recommend tossing this salad as most the good stuff will sink to the bottom in a bowl. Sprinkle the fresh herbs and diced cucumber over the greens. Evenly distribute the pickled onions. Top with strawberries and diced avocado. Crumble the goat cheese and crushed walnuts over the top. Serve with the Creamy Balsamic Dressing.
What I Love about this Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad
This salad is one of my absolute favorites. Here is why I think you’ll love it too:
- Perfect Balanced Flavors - In my opinion, there is nothing better than a salad with sweet elements, varied textures and tangy goat cheese! This salad will convert people who think they don't like salads.
- Healthy & Nutrient-Dense - This salad has nutrient rich greens, herbs, cucumber, fresh strawberries, and red onions, along with healthy fat from avocados, walnuts, and avocado oil-based dressing which improve the bioavailability of those micronutrients.
Storage
This salad can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. If you think you will have leftovers and would like to store it, you should avoid dressing the entire salad when serving to prevent it from getting soggy in the fridge.
Diet Types
This recipe is gluten-free and vegetarian (ovo-lacto), but it contains ingredients that are that are not consider vegan or paleo.
In order to make this recipe vegan, you will need to omit or substitute the goat cheese with a dairy-free feta (I like the Follow Your Heart brand), or crumble a spreadable nut-based cheese that you love (this is best done if the cheese is cold). Additionally, you will need to substitute a vegan mayo in the dressing or a dairy-free yogurt.
To make this recipe paleo-friendly, simply omit the goat cheese or substitute with a paleo friendly cheese alternative. All other ingredients are paleo!
Recipe Tips
- When chopping your produce, make sure everything is bite-sized.
- Distribute all the ingredients evenly on a platter, rather than tossing in a bowl. Tossing this salad causes the heavier ingredients to sink to the bottom and the avocado and goat cheese may clump together. Plating this salad allows you to serve it easier and ensures every serving will have a good proportion of all the delicious ingredients.
- Wait to dress the salad! I recommend allowing each person to dress their own salad. This way everyone gets as much dressing as they like, and any leftovers of the salad can be stored and saved.
Related Recipes
- Vietnamese Cucumber Salad
- Paleo Apple Pecan Salad
- Grilled Peach and Prosciutto Salad
- Blackberry Avocado Salad
Other Great Recipes
Looking for other tasty recipes? Here are a few you might like:
📖 Recipe
Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad with Walnuts and Avocado
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Small skillet
- Rubber Spatula
- Knife
- Cutting board
- Large serving platter
Ingredients
Creamy Balsamic Dressing
- ¾ cup Avocado oil mayo or your favorite mayo
- 3 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar high-quality Italian balsamic vinegar has such great flavor
- 2 tablespoon Maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon Sea salt
- ½ teaspoon Garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon Black pepper
- ¼ tsp Dried oregano
Candied Walnuts
- 1 teaspoon Olive oil
- ½ cup Raw walnuts
- 1 tablespoon Maple syrup
- Sea salt to taste (use ¼ teaspoon or less unless you want them extra salty)
Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad
- 8 cups Chopped greens (I like crunchy greens like romaine in this salad, but you can use arugula, spring mix or even baby kale)
- 1 cup Strawberries hulled and quartered lengthwise
- 1 cup Diced English cucumber about ½ large English cucumber
- 1 Large ripe avocado diced
- ½ cup Candied walnuts chopped (regular walnuts work too!)
- 2-3 oz Plain goat cheese crumbled
- ¼ cup Pickled red onions or 1 small shallot or ¼ cup sliced red onion
- ¼ cup Finely chopped mint
- ¼ cup Finely chopped basil
Instructions
Creamy Balsamic Dressing
- Add all ingredients for the dressing into a small mixing bowl and whisk together until smooth with no visible lumps of mayo. Place in the fridge until ready to use.
Candied Walnuts
- Add 1 teaspoon of olive oil to a small skillet and heat over medium heat.
- Add walnuts to the skillet and toast for about 1 minute, stirring occasionally with a rubber spatula.
- Add the maple syrup and salt to the nuts. Stir to coat. Continue to cook, stirring continuously. The maple syrup will begin to bubble and start sticking to the nuts as you stir. Keep the heat at a low-medium to prevent burning. As it cooks, you will notice less maple syrup in the pan and more sticking to the walnuts. Once the syrup becomes extremely viscous and most is adhered to the nuts, remove from the heat. Set aside to cool.
- As the nuts cool, toss several more times to ensure that they are fully coated in the maple syrup.
- Once cooled, coarsely chop the nuts and set aside.
Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad
- Prepare the ingredients. If using romaine, chop the lettuce into small bite-sized pieces (this is not necessary for spring mix or baby greens). Hull and quarter the strawberries lengthwise. Chop the cucumber into ¼-inch squares. Peel and dice or slice the avocado. Chop the pickled onions to about 1-inch slices. Finely chop the mint and basil.
- Plate the greens on a large serving dish (I don't generally toss this salad as most the good stuff will sink to the bottom in a bowl). Sprinkle over the fresh herbs and diced cucumber. Evenly distribute the pickled onions. Top with strawberries and diced avocado. Crumble the goat cheese and crushed walnuts over the top. Dress the salad (you won't need all the dressing, but it saves well in the fridge) or serve with the dressing on the side.
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