This fresh strawberry arugula salad with goat cheese is tossed with pecans in a honey balsamic vinegar dressing and garnished with orange zest.

quartered strawberries, chopped pecans, and crumbled goat cheese on arugula salad on a shallow bowl/plate.

Settle in for a bowl of health with this fresh strawberry, arugula, and goat cheese salad.

Fresh strawberries in a paper towel lined bowl.

Variations on Strawberry Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese

Don't have arugula? No problem - use your favorite mixed lettuce or spinach. Make the salad much easier by buying a pre-washed bag of arugula.

Don't like goat cheese? Cool, try blue cheese or feta cheese with this strawberry salad recipe.

Don't have pecans? Alright - switch them out for any other nut - walnuts, almonds, or pistachios.

Want to add more protein? Add a little prosciutto, ham, or cooked chicken to this strawberry and arugula salad.

Side view of two white rimmed plates with forks and knives sticking out on a wood cutting board. Plates are filled with arugula, quartered strawberries, white goat cheese crumbles, pecans, and orange zest.

Dressing and Plating Strawberry Arugula Salad

Fruits and vegetables, like arugula and strawberries, will wilt or release juice or liquid immediately with the addition of salad dressing.

Keep your arugula salad vibrant and don't overdress this strawberry salad recipe (or any salad recipe at that).

Plate arugula salad like a pro!

Toss the arugula with a little bit of salad dressing first and plate. Trust that a little bit of salad dressing goes a long way.
Next, toss the pecan and strawberries together with an a little more dressing and layer it on top of the salad. This creates a much prettier and more visually balanced plate.
Last, garnish salad with goat cheese and orange zest that have not been tossed in salad dressing.

quartered strawberries, chopped pecans, and crumbled goat cheese on arugula salad on a shallow bowl/plate. top view.

Strawberry Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese

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EatSimpleFood.com

This fresh, local, and easy in-season strawberry arugula salad with goat cheese is tossed with fresh pecans in a balsamic vinegar dressing and is garnished with orange zest.

Author: beckie
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 4
Category: Salad
Method: No Cooking Involved
Cuisine: International
Diet: Gluten-Free, Low-Carb, Vegetarian

Ingredients

Ingredient List Salad:

5 ounces arugula
2 cups strawberries, quartered
½ cup pecans, chopped
½ cup goat cheese, crumbled
1 orange, zested

Ingredient List Dressing (makes ~ ¾ cup):

¼ cup orange juice (zest it first!)
2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
¼ cup olive oil
1 ½ tablespoon honey
¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

For the dressing:

Place all salad dressing ingredients in a jar and shake vigorously.
Salt dressing to taste.

For the salad:

Add arugula, strawberries, and pecans to a bowl and mix in desired amount of dressing.
Plate the arugula strawberry salad, top with goat cheese, and garnish with orange zest.

Notes

Plate strawberry arugula salad like a pro! Toss the arugula with the dressing first and plate. Then toss the pecan and strawberries together and layer into the salad so it's visually a much prettier or more balanced plate. Top with goat cheese crumbles and orange zest.