Looking for a delicious, fresh, and healthy salad recipe? Try this strawberry goat cheese salad! Made with mixed greens, strawberries, goat cheese, red onions, cucumbers, avocado, and walnuts and topped with a homemade balsamic vinaigrette, this salad makes for the perfect side salad. You can also add some grilled chicken on top for a full, hearty meal!

While a summer favorite, this strawberry goat cheese salad is my favorite salad to enjoy year-round. There’s just something so delicious about this combination that I truly cannot get enough of.

Overhead view of a platter of strawberry goat cheese salad. Fresh basil, bowl of goat cheese, scattered pecans and strawberries beside the platter.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

It’s very easy to customize! There are so many ways to make this strawberry goat cheese salad. Don’t like the mixed greens? Use spinach. Don’t like walnuts? Use pecans! There are so many ways to enjoy this salad.
I love all the different textures and flavors in the salad. You get the soft and tangy goat cheese, the crisp mixed greens, the sweetness of strawberries and balsamic, and the wonderful crunch of the walnuts.
There isn’t any cooking involved with this salad. Simply chop up the ingredients and toss to combine.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Ingredients needed to make strawberry goat cheese salad.

dressing — this dressing uses a combination of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, kosher salt, and pepper.
baby spring mix — I use baby spring mix from Organic Girl which is a mix of 14 tender baby greens. Feel free to use whatever greens you prefer!
cucumber — I use an English cucumber as they don’t require peeling and you don’t have to scoop out the seeds.
red onions — I love red onions! If you prefer something more mild, you can use shallots.
walnuts — walnuts are rich in heart-healthy fats and high in antioxidants, making for a great addition to the salad.
strawberries — did you know that strawberries essentially stop ripening once picked? So you want to buy the reddest strawberries you can find, for the sweetest bite.
avocado — I love the creamy texture that avocado adds to the salad.
goat cheese — I love the tangy flavor of goat cheese! You can even buy flavored goat cheese for even more flavor to the salad. Fig goat cheese is a household favorite.
basil — I love adding fresh basil! If you don’t have basil, you can skip it.

How to Make Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad

Set of two photos showing dressing mixed together and poured over mixed greens, onions, and cucumbers.

Mix together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, kosher salt, and pepper.
Toss the mixed greens, cucumbers, red onions, and salad dressing in a large mixing bowl.

Set of two photos showing mixed greens and pecans added to a platter.

Transfer the salad to a platter if desired, or continue in the mixing bowl.
Add the walnuts.

Set of two photos showing strawberries and avocado added to the plated salad.

Add the chopped strawberries.
Add the avocado.

Set of two photos showing goat cheese and basil ribbons added to the platter of salad.

Add crumbled goat cheese.
Top off with basil.

Overhead view of a large serving platter of strawberry goat cheese salad with avcado and wooden serving spoons inside the salad.

Recipe Tips and Notes

Even though most salad mixes say they’ve been washed, I almost always wash them again and dry thoroughly with a salad spinner to ensure my greens are clean!
When you add the dressing ingredients together, it might look a little off but trust the process! As you mix it together, the ingredients will combine and turn into a delicious dressing. It’s totally normal for the olive oil to kinda just sit on top until it’s fully whisked. The mustard will also take a bit to break down into the dressing.
Sometimes, I like sprinkling some hemp hearts on top of the salad for a little added protein.
You can mix the entire salad in a large mixing bowl if you prefer. I like layering it on a platter for a prettier presentation when I’m serving it to guests.
Drizzle with some honey for an extra added sweet note. Hot honey is great as a hot and sweet note.
If you’ve got some raspberries, blackberries, or blueberries on hand, feel free to add some to the salad as well.
Add some grilled chicken to turn this into a hearty meal! Try my grilled chicken breasts, grilled chicken thighs, grilled buffalo chicken, or grilled lemon pepper chicken. Steak, shrimp, and salmon are great as well!
Not a fan of walnuts for this goat cheese and strawberry salad? Try pecans, pinenuts, almonds, or pistachios!
You can also place the dressing ingredients in a mason jar and shake vigorously to make the dressing.
To cut basil into ribbons, you can stack a couple leafs together and roll them up tightly. Then, start cutting them on the short end to create ribbons.

A plate of strawberry goat cheese salad topped with a few slices of avocado.

Make Ahead Tips

Meal prep: If you want to meal prep this strawberry salad, you need to hold off on adding the dressing and avocado. Store the dressing on the side and store the salad in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the fridge. Add the dressing and avocado on the day of eating.

Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad

5 from 1 vote

Print Rate

Prep Time: 30

Total Time: 30

Servings: servings

Ingredients

Balsamic Dressing

2 to 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 to 2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
⅓ cup olive oil

For the Salad

10 ounces baby spring mix, or mixed greens
1 English cucumber, cut into half moons
¼ red onion, sliced
1 cup walnuts
3 to 4 cups strawberries, roughly chopped or sliced into halves or quarters
1 cup goat cheese, crumbled
1 avocado, sliced
1 handful basil, ribboned

Instructions

Mix together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, kosher salt, and pepper.
Toss the mixed greens, cucumbers, red onions, and salad dressing in a large mixing bowl.
Transfer the salad to a platter if desired, or continue in the mixing bowl.
Top the salad with walnuts, strawberries, goat cheese, avocado, and basil.
Serve as is or toss well before serving.

Tried this recipe?Did you make this recipe? I’m always so happy to hear about it! I’d love to see how it turned out. Tag me at @CarmysHungry on Instagram so I can see it! If you enjoyed the recipe, I’d really appreciate a comment with a 5 star rating! ♥

Nutrition Per Serving

Author: Carmy

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Nutrition Disclaimer

More Recipes Using Strawberries to Try

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