Strawberry Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese and Balsamic Dressing

This Strawberry Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese and Balsamic Vinaigrette is oh-so-savory and delicious, packed full of nutritious ingredients, and so easy to make, you’ll want to put it on repeat all summer long. 

If fresh and flavorful salads are your thing, I’ve got you covered with my Apple Pecan Salad with Maple Vinaigrette, Creamy Balsamic Peach Salad, and Apple Pecan and Bacon Salad with Maple Vinaigrette Dressing.

Why This Recipe Works

Savory Ingredients — I don’t know about you but I love a savory salad. This strawberry arugula salad with balsamic vinaigrette is the perfect accompaniment to grilled steaks, or chicken or baked salmon, or perfect as a meal all on its own with sliced steak or chicken on top. 

Easy — It really couldn’t get any easier than combining the ingredients needed for this strawberry arugula salad and topping with a delicious balsamic dressing.

Balsamic dressing — One of the best things about this strawberry salad with balsamic vinaigrette is the dressing. A little tangy, a touch sweet — it’s the perfect salad topper!

So flavorful — Between the slightly bitter arugula, tangy goat cheese, salty bacon, nutty almonds, and delicious strawberries, this strawberry arugula salad with goat cheese is so delicious and simply made of all the things you could ever want in a salad. 

Ingredients 

• Baby Arugula — Arugula is one of my favorite greens. It’s slightly bitter and its bite-size leaves work so well in this strawberry arugula salad with bacon. 
• Strawberries — This is the best berry in this savory strawberry salad recipe. However, good strawberries can be hard to find, especially if it’s not summer. In that case, I’ve found blueberries to work well too.
• Red Onion — I love a thin slice of red onion but if you prefer less, you could always finely dice or leave out. 
• Almonds — Slivered almonds are easy to add to this arugula salad with strawberries but you could also chop whole almonds and add if you prefer.
• Goat Cheese — Creamy, tangy, melt-in-your-mouth goat cheese is just what this salad calls for. I got mine already crumbled in a plastic container.
• Bacon – You can cook and chop the bacon yourself, or my favorite hack is to use real bacon bits microwaved for about 20 seconds to crispy perfection!
• Creamy Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing — Follow the simple directions on this dressing as the perfect salad topper.
• Grilled Chicken — If you’d like to add protein to this salad and make it a meal, I recommend slicing a piece of grilled chicken or you could add some rotisserie chicken too to make it easy. 

How to Make Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad with Balsamic

All of the ingredients in this strawberry arugula salad without spinach come together in a cinch! 

1. First, in a large salad bowl, toss together the arugula, strawberries, onions, almonds, goat cheese, and bacon.
2. Next, pour over the dressing and toss the salad right before serving.

FAQs

Expert Tips + Tricks 

• Save time (and use fewer dishes) by substituting bacon bits in this strawberry arugula salad recipe. I recommend popping them in the microwave for about 20-25 seconds to get them warm and add a little crispiness to them before adding them to the salad. 
• Make it a meal: Enjoy this savory strawberry salad for dinner by adding sliced or diced chicken or steak to it. 
• This salad will keep undressed in the fridge for up to 2 days. Any dressed salad should be eaten the day of. It’s best to dress the salad right before serving.

More Recipes to Try

• Chopped Asian Salad – a crisp, refreshing mix featuring vibrant vegetables, seeds, and cranberries tossed in a savory dressing.
• Best Easy Italian Green Salad – a crowd-pleasing combination of lettuce, pepperoni, mozzarella, cucumbers, and sunflower seeds tossed in a zesty homemade Italian dressing.
• Best Kale Salad Recipe – a nutrient-packed gourmet salad made with tender massaged kale, dried cranberries, toasted almonds, and parmesan.