Colorful Strawberry Arugula Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
This strawberry salad is colorful and delicious! It's made with arugula, strawberries, goat cheese, sunflower seeds and balsamic vinaigrette.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 1, 2024
I declare this strawberry number the Official Salad of Summer 2018! It’s fully loaded with colorful strawberries, radishes, red onion, basil, jalapeño, toasty sunflower seeds, and fresh arugula.
Creamy goat cheese and a simple homemade balsamic vinaigrette round out the sweet-and-slightly-spicy flavor profile. It’s an unexpected combination of flavors, perhaps, but they’re truly irresistible together.
This is a hearty summertime garden salad that you can serve as a light dinner, or as a side salad for a crowd. I think it would go well with smoky flavors from your grill.
I should mention that this is a big salad. I could barely manage to toss it all together on my largest serving platter. You could divide all of the ingredients in half—or better yet, store leftover salad and dressing separately and enjoy leftovers for a few days.
I hope you love this salad as much as I do. It would definitely make a statement on the table at your next summer get-together.
Check my recipe notes for ideas on how to change it up to suit your preferences, and please let me know how you like this strawberry stunner in the comments!
Craving more giant green salads to make this summer?
- Italian Chopped Salad
- Colorful Chopped Salad with Carrot Ginger Dressing
- Mexican Green Salad with Jalapeño-Cilantro Dressing
- Fattoush Salad with Mint Dressing
- Chopped Greek Salad
Colorful Strawberry Arugula Salad
This large strawberry salad is colorful and delicious! It’s made with arugula, strawberries, goat cheese, sunflower seeds and balsamic vinaigrette. Recipe yields 4 large or 8 side salads.
Ingredients
- 5 ounces arugula
- ½ cup chopped fresh basil
- 1 pound strawberries, thinly sliced
- ¾ cup finely chopped red onion (about ½ small onion)
- 4 ounces crumbled goat cheese or feta, or 1 ripe avocado, diced
- ½ cup roasted and salted sunflower seeds
- ½ cup halved and thinly sliced radish (about 3 medium)
- 1 medium jalapeño, very thinly sliced (omit if sensitive to spice)
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 ½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ½ tablespoon maple syrup or honey
- 1 clove garlic, pressed or minced
- Pinch of fine sea salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- To assemble the salad: On a large serving platter or in a large serving bowl, layer the ingredients as listed.
- To prepare the vinaigrette: In a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, combine all of the ingredients and whisk until fully blended. Taste, and add more salt or pepper if needed. The dressing should be nice and tangy, but you can add more maple syrup for balance if desired.
- When you’re ready to serve the salad, drizzle vinaigrette on top, and toss to combine. Serve promptly. (If you’re planning to have leftovers, store the salad and dressing separately and toss before serving.) Stored separately, leftovers will keep well for 3 to 4 days.
Notes
Make it dairy free/vegan: Substitute diced avocado for the goat cheese. Vegans, be sure to use maple syrup in the dressing.
Change it up: This salad is versatile. If you don’t have basil, or you don’t love jalapeño or radish, simply omit them. If you don’t like arugula, use spring greens instead.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
YAS this salad is heaven! I put extra crumbled goat cheese and I was transported to paradise. Please keep up the good work!
Thank you!
Grrr. Recipe calls for sunflower seeds but it’s the kernel that is needed. ☹️
Hi William, you can use another nut or seed if you like.
Hello,
The salad dressing is delicious and very tasty !!! Thank you for the recipe.
This salad is a staple in my house year round, however, it is even more deliciousduring strawberry season. The spicy and sweet is spot on and the dressing is outstanding–as per usual. Thank you C+ K!
You’re welcome, Suzanne! I’m excited you love this salad. It’s so good!
Loved this recipe.
Thank you for your review, Joan!
This salad was amazing! I used feta because I didn’t have goat cheese or the peppers.
This was AMAZING. Looked and tasted like a fancy restaurant salad! I was so proud to serve it at dinner. We ate the whole bowl. I followed your recipe exactly and it was perfect.
Hooray! I love to hear that.
This was incredible! The flavor combination is perfection and everyone even my two girls gobbled it up.
Just made this salad and two of us ate the entire thing. It’s beautiful to look at, but even more importantly, the flavor combination is just amazing. Followed the recipe exactly and I wouldn’t change a thing except to make a double batch if making for a group. And perhaps add more basil or maybe even mint next time. I love salads that combine things you wouldn’t normally think to serve together! This salad is my new obsession. Thanks for yet another winning salad recipe.
I’m glad it was a hit, Stephanie!
Amazing salad, it did not last long on our table! Will be a weekly addition in strawberry season. Thanks Kate!
You’re welcome, Kelly! Thank you for your review.
I really enjoyed this salad. Very interesting combination of ingredients. Plan to make it again.
I have made several of your salads and other dishes and have enjoyed them all.
Thank you! I’m excited you enjoyed it, Shannon.
This was delicious! I served this alongside a grilled pork tenderloin with habanero peach salsa and corn-on-the-cob, and it got RAVE reviews from my guests. They asked for the recipe! It was so good, thank you for the recipe!
You’re welcome, Calista! I appreciate your review.
This salad is AMAZING! With berries in season for the summer, we couldn’t get enough of it. It tastes like a salad you would spend $$ on in a restaurant. I make it with a little chicken to get some protein in there but you don’t need it.
Such an interesting combination of ingredients. Loved the sweet with hints of spicy. I subbed sunflower seeds for pepitas, and parmesan for the cheese because that’s what I had on hand and added dried basil to the dressing because I didn’t have enough fresh basil. Thanks for another winner!
You’re welcome, Natalie!
I always love Kate’s salad recipes, but this one has to be my all-time fave! It was so good I had to come back and write a review. I made it for Easter and it was a hit. I used strawberry balsamic from a local shop and pistachios instead of sunflower seeds since it was what I had on hand. I wasn’t sure about the jalapeno, but it was so unexpectedly perfect in this. Delicious!
Delicious! I will make it again, many times.
That’s great to hear, Carol!
Love love love your recipes! So fresh & flavorful! Your cookbook is beautiful and it is my favorite housewarming gift to give. Thank you!!
I was curious how this would taste with the fresh jalapeno. The combination of the basil and jalapeno was subtle but delightful. This is a keeper recipe. Thank you for such great recipes using common and fresh ingredients. I have recommended your website to several people.
This is incredible! So flavorful! Best salad I’ve ever had!
This was so good! I forgot to add the basil, but it was still really flavorful. I was skeptical about the jalapeno and if the spice would mesh with the sweet flavors. But it was delicious! Will make again!
That’s great to hear, Martha!
This was absolutely delicious! Served it with roast pork loin and it was a wonderful meal.
Made this tonight and it was a huge hit! It was delish and I will be making it again soon! I know I can always count on your recipes to be out of this world! Every recipe I’ve made of yours has been outstanding and this is no exception. Thank you!!
You’re welcome, Marissa!
Hi Kate!
Made this strawberry salad tonight… I just happened to have everything on hand for this recipe. Actually Googled arugula & strawberry recipes & as soon as I saw your name I knew it would be good! It was such a refreshing change from day in, day out salads. Made half today & kept it all separate to have the rest tomorrow.
Thank you for a great recipe! So glad I searched by ingredients.
Sincerely
Natalie
So yummy! Love it
Made this with steak and corn!!
Awesome !!! Thank you!
Our arugula is very strong this year. Could I mix in spinach/and or lettuce, or do all the other ingredients need pure arugula to shine? Thanks!
Hi Beth, I think spinach mixed in would be great! The peppery arugula is a great contrast to the sweetness of the strawberry and balsamic, but spinach is also a classic green to use.
Thanks so much! I found your recommendation to use spring mix in your notes. I used 5 oz spring mix and added some of our arugula from the garden. Had 12 guests and the salad was devoured! Several asked for the recipe! I love giving your cookbook as a gift. Thanks for all you do!
Wonder where people come up with their calculations for salad dressings I doubled this recipe and it barely makes anything surely not enough for eight small side salads!!!