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This fresh and beautiful Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad is one of my favorite spring salads that carries into summer! Buttery, brown sugar coated candied pecans and sweet strawberries pair with salty goat cheese (or sub feta if you're not a fan!) and a quick homemade honey balsamic vinaigrette! It's the perfect Mother's Day salad, and works well for Easter or any brunch, lunch or dinner gathering!
- A Special Occasion Salad! - A Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad is my go-to when I need something to bring! Strawberries are best in the spring and summer, making this great for Easter, Mother's Day, a baby shower brunch or any of the summer holidays. It feels fancy but it only takes 20 minutes and can be prepped ahead!
- Spring to Summer - We love salads with fresh fruit, nuts and cheese, an excellent combination! Strawberries give this salad vibrant taste and color, with sweet and savory elements that make it hearty and healthy!
- Love Party Salads? Try my Pear Parmesan Salad and this Blueberry Goat Cheese Salad! Check out all our 24 Summer Salad Recipes too!
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Ingredients & Substitutions
Bright strawberries, any lettuce mix you like, quick candied nuts and a homemade honey balsamic dressing make this party salad a favorite!
- Strawberries - Ripe and juicy strawberries are delcious in this salad, but you could substitute or even add in other berries like raspberries, blueberries or blackberries!
- Candied Pecans - A quick toss in butter and brown sugar (try making your own Homemade Brown Sugar next time you run out!) and raw baking pecans become irresistibly delicious! You could also substitute walnuts.
- Red Onion - These are optional, but I love a few slices of sharp red onion to balance the sweetness. You could also use milder shallots, scallions or chives.
- Goat Cheese - Creamy crumbly goat cheese goes so well with berries, but feta makes a perfect substitute when not everyone likes goat cheese!
- Lettuce - Use any lettuce mix you like, such as spring mix or a spinach mix, or chopped butter lettuce. Use tender baby greens, and avoid romaine or iceberg. With the abundant toppings, the lettuce is in the background.
- Balsamic Vinaigrette - A quick shake in a jar, strawberries love balsamic! A good amount of honey makes it thick and smooth and compliments the sweet pecans. If you aren't into balsamic vinegar, white wine vinegar or white balsamic would also work.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
This pretty salad is easier than it looks, and the dressing and pecans can be prepped in advance!
Step 1 - Wash the strawberries and slice them in half or quarters, depending on size.
Add all ingredients for the dressing to a jar with a lid and shake to emulsify.
Step 2 - Add the butter, pecans, and brown sugar to a skillet over medium low heat.
Toss for a few minutes with a spoon until fragrant, toasted and coated. Cool slightly.
Don't walk away, nuts and sugar can burn easily!
Step 3 - Add the lettuce to a large bowl with about HALF of each ingredient, including some of the dressing and toss with tongs.
Step 4 - Add the salad to a platter, or leave it in the bowl.
Arrange the remaining ingredients over the top with another drizzle of vinaigrette.
Top Tips
- The Key To Gorgeous Presentation - My best tip for all salad making! Only toss half your ingredients with the lettuce and some vinaigrette. Then sprinkle the rest over the top with a bit more dressing. This makes for a stunning, party-worthy presentation without your colorful ingredients getting buried at the bottom of the salad bowl!
- The Vinaigrette - Store-bought is fine, but making up your own vinaigrette is really easy! Dijon mustard acts as the emulsifier and honey or real maple syrup will work as the sweetener. Use as much or as little dressing on the salad as you like, extra will keep in the fridge for a month. If basil is growing in your garden, my Basil Balsamic Vinaigrette would work on this salad too!
- Make Ahead Instructions - The balsamic vinaigrette and the candied pecans can be made a day in advance and kept in jars on the counter. The day of, add the lettuce and onion to a bowl and refrigerate. Then just keep your strawberries and goat cheese in separate containers and put it all together when you're almost ready to serve. You can also make the complete salad, tossed with dressing about an hour before serving and keep it in the fridge.
Serving Suggestions
This salad is easy and versatile and works well with lots of spring or summer meals, parties and special occasions!
- Spring & Summer Dinners - Serve this salad with summer cookouts, grilled chicken, or Grilled Steak Kabobs.
- Summer Holidays - This makes a perfect salad for Mother's Day, Easter, or Memorial Day! It's a great dish to bring to a summer party or grill out! Make it after you go strawberry picking along with these Strawberry Banana Yogurt Popsicles!
- Brunch - A fruit salad is great for brunch and goes so well with egg dishes! For the perfect brunch menu, try my Bacon Cheddar Quiche or my Sausage and Spinach Quiche and a Fruit Platter. Add these Cherry Almond Scones or these Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins!
- Make it the Meal - Add grilled chicken and serve this salad for dinner!
Recipe FAQs
Some people love goat cheese, some people hate it! Crumbled feta cheese is a pretty safe swap that most people like. You could also do shaved Parmesan or blue cheese if you're a big fan, but it will give you quite a different flavor.
A little trick I use is to grab a little handful of lettuce, what you think 1 person would eat, and toss it in your bowl. Count out the number of people you're serving with a little handful each. Then adjust your toppings up or down to look abundant! If you're serving more than 4 people, just double the dressing. Extra will keep in the fridge for a month, so don't worry about making too much.
Yes! It's naturally gluten-free and nutritious with fresh fruit, nuts, and wholesome ingredients. You can use half the amount of butter and brown sugar in the candied pecans and still get a delicious result, or even just use plain toasted nuts. You could also use less honey in the dressing if you like. Olive oil or avocado oil could be used, and you can always adjust the salt amount.
More Salads You'll Love!
If you made this recipe, I'd love to hear how you liked it! Be sure to leave a star rating by clicking the stars in the recipe card, or leave a comment below!
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Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad
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Print Pin RateIngredients
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 1 cup pecans
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
- 4 to 5 ounces lettuce mix
- 2 cups strawberries cut in half or quarters
- ½ cup goat cheese (or feta cheese) crumbled
- ⅛ cup red onion sliced (optional)
For the Dressing
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Wash the strawberries well and slice them in half or quarters, depending on size.
- For the candied pecans, in a small skillet over medium low heat, melt the butter and add the pecans and brown sugar. Toss with a spoon to coat the nuts, about 3 or 4 minutes until fragrant and lightly toasted. Don't walk away, nuts can burn quickly! Allow to cool in the pan.
- Add all the ingredients for the dressing to a jar with a lid and shake well to emulsify.
- In a large bowl, add the lettuce mix (you can use some spinach if you like) and HALF of each ingredient, including the candied pecans and some of the dressing. Toss well with tongs.
- Add to a serving platter and arrange the remaining ingredients over the top so they are visible and don't sink to the bottom! Add another drizzle of dressing and enjoy!
Notes
- Strawberries - Use about half to ¾'s of a pint size container.
- Only toss half the ingredients - This is all about presentation, you don't want all your ingredients falling to the bottom of the bowl. Toss the lettuce with some dressing and half of each ingredient. Then arrange the rest over the top and drizzle with a bit more dressing!
- Make Ahead - If bringing this salad to a party, the dressing and pecans can be made the day ahead and stored in jars on the counter. Add the lettuce and a few onions to a bowl. Bring the sliced strawberries and goat cheese in separate containers and put the salad together when you are about ready to eat.
- Dressing - You may not need all the dressing, the extra jar can be stored in the fridge for a month and used on any salad.
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