Make this beautiful strawberry goat cheese salad that celebrates spring, with fresh greens, tangy goat cheese, and juicy strawberries. It’s perfect for a quick meal or an impressive starter.
Enjoy a strawberry goat cheese salad with fresh strawberries, creamy goat cheese, avocado, and crisp greens. Toss it with a light dressing for a quick, tasty dish. Ready in under 30 minutes, it's my go-to salad for guests in spring or summer.
Serve the goat cheese and strawberry salad with Garlic and Herb Marinated Chicken, Panko Chicken, or Soda Bread without Buttermilk.
Ingredients: 12 + salt and pepper
Marinating time – optional: 30 minutes
Cooking time – toasting: 2-3 minutes
Prep time: 20 minutes
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Recipe ingredients
Strawberries: Ripe and sweet. I didn’t weigh them - just used about 6-8 medium strawberries per person and arranged them on serving plates.
Goat cheese: Crumble over the salad. You can use feta instead, preferably a creamier kind. Try this Quinoa Arugula Salad with goat cheese, too.
Fresh baby spinach, about a large handful per person. You can swap it with arugula, lamb’s lettuce, or other baby greens. If you have more spinach, try these Creamy Spinach Gnocchi, too.
Nuts: I used roasted almonds, and they were great! You can also use roasted pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, pine nuts, sunflower seeds, or pumpkin seeds - they all go well with goat cheese and strawberries.
Other ingredients: Red onion, avocado, and a bit of granulated sugar.
Dressing: Some reserved berry marinade, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, poppy seeds (optional), mustard, mayonnaise (optional), fresh basil, fine sea salt or kosher salt, and black pepper.
See the recipe card for complete information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations
Use other fresh berries like raspberries, blueberries, or blackberries.
Swap the greens, herbs, nuts, or cheese as you like. You can use arugula (rocket), lamb's lettuce, or other types of lettuce or fresh greens, add basil, parsley, or chives, and use another type of cheese, such as feta, mozzarella, or burrata.
Add protein: Grilled or pan-fried chicken, chicken kabobs, or cooked shrimp, go well with this salad.
Dressing: Use your favorite store-bought or homemade vinaigrette.
How to make a strawberry salad with goat cheese?
Step #1: Wash and slice the strawberries. Marinate them with sugar (optional but recommended).
Step #2: Wash and dry the spinach. Slice the red onion and chop the avocado.
Step #3: Toast the nuts if they’re not already roasted.
Step #4: Make the dressing by whisking all ingredients together.
Step #5: Arrange the greens, strawberries, onion, avocado, and nuts on plates. Crumble goat cheese on top and drizzle with dressing. Serve.
Tips
Strawberries: Buy the sweetest strawberries you can find - their quality makes all the difference. Macerating them with sugar is optional but highly recommended.
Roasting almonds: You can use whole almonds (chopped yourself), pre-chopped almonds, or flaked almonds. Toast them in a dry pan over medium heat, shaking often. They turn golden in minutes, so don’t walk away - they burn fast. Remove them from the pan immediately to prevent over-toasting.
Assemble the strawberry goat cheese salad just before serving.
Recipe FAQs
Feta or blue cheese are great alternatives with a similar texture.
No, frozen and thawed strawberries become too soft and watery. Fresh berries work best.
Definitely! Try a balsamic vinaigrette, raspberry vinaigrette, or honey mustard dressing we made for the Quinoa Salmon Salad.
Make ahead and store
Salads with greens, fruit, and avocado are best enjoyed fresh; you should not store the assembled salad.
You can prepare the ingredients ahead: Wash and dry the spinach, toast the almonds, and crumble the goat cheese. Marinate the strawberries about an hour before serving.
Make the dressing in advance and add 2 tablespoons of the strawberry marinade once the berries are ready. Store it in a mason jar or airtight container.
Only slice the onion and avocado just before adding them to the salad. Assemble everything right before serving.
More delicious and filling salads
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📖 Recipe
Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad
Equipment
- Small bowl
- Medium bowl
- 1 large platter or 2 plates
Ingredients
Strawberry goat cheese salad:
- 12-14 strawberries ripe and sweet
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons almond flakes Note 1
- 2 handfuls baby spinach about 4.5 oz/125 g, Note 2
- ½ small red onion
- 1 small avocado
- ⅓ cup goat cheese
Salad dressing:
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar to taste
- 2 tablespoons of the strawberry marinade to taste
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon mayonnaise optional, Note 4
- a few basil leaves
- fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Strawberries: Wash and dry the strawberries with a paper towel. Top and slice them, then toss with sugar and marinate for 30-60 minutes. Reserve the marinade for the dressing.12-14 strawberries + 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- Almonds: Toast the almonds in a dry pan, then let them cool while preparing the rest of the salad.2 tablespoons almond flakes
- Dressing: Whisk together oil, vinegar, 2 tablespoons of the reserved strawberry marinade, mustard, mayo, salt, and pepper.3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil + 1-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar + 2 tablespoons of the strawberry marinade + ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard + 1 teaspoon mayonnaise + fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Prepare the other ingredients: Wash and dry the spinach, finely slice the red onion, and chop the avocado.2 handfuls baby spinach + ½ small red onion + 1 small avocado
- Assemble the salad: Place the spinach in a bowl and toss with half of the dressing. Transfer to two plates or a larger platter. Arrange the strawberries on the spinach, then add red onion, avocado slices, and crumbled goat cheese.⅓ cup goat cheese + a few basil leaves
Notes
- Almonds: You can use whole almonds (chopped yourself), pre-chopped almonds, or flaked almonds. Swap them for other nuts or seeds like pecans, walnuts, pine nuts, hazelnuts, or sunflower seeds. Toast them first for extra flavor and crunch.
- Spinach: Arugula, lamb’s lettuce, or regular lettuce work as great alternatives.
- Cheese: Use feta or crumbly blue cheese instead of goat cheese.
- Mayonnaise adds creaminess to the dressing, but it's still delicious without it.
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