A seasonal spring or summer salad featuring mixed greens, sliced strawberries, and goat cheese, tossed together in a sugar-free Dijon Vinaigrette; this strawberry spring salad is perfect as a side, or complete meal with your favorite protein!
This salad is our go-to salad for any potluck, no matter the time of year! It’s always a hit, and the prep time couldn’t be easier.
Unless my mom is present, I’m always the one who brings a salad of some kind to a shindig, and this Strawberry Spring Salad with Goat Cheese is party perfect. With fresh berries, soft cheese, and a homemade vinaigrette, I love dreaming up these kinds of salads. This is the type of salad I’d love during the week for lunch with a side of grilled chicken too.
This Strawberry Spring Mix Salad is perfect all year long, but if you follow the seasons, it’s great in spring when our Florida Strawberries are in season, and obviously Cali berries are fresh in summer. So pretty much anytime from February-August, this salad can be made with in-season strawberries!
What goes into this salad recipe:
For everyday salads, I tend to use romaine; but for seasonal salads that can serve as a side, I like a good spring mix to change it up a bit, since it’s not the main event. But please, use whatever green you like for this salad; kale would also be good, massaged in the Dijon Vinaigrette, or make a Strawberry Spinach Salad. You do you.
I used leftover walnuts I had (from this pesto), but you could easily use pecans, or slivered almonds. This salad is low-carb as-is, but if you’re currently on a Whole30, or have guests who can’t have dairy, you can omit the goat cheese, and this salad is still party perfect.
How to make this sugar-free Dijon Vinaigrette:
The Dijon Vinaigrette is one of my favorite easy dressings. It’s sugar-free, and doubles as a marinade for chicken. I don’t just use this vinaigrette on this salad, but any salad that I make with fruit and mixed greens or spinach salads. It’s super versatile!
To make this vinaigrette you will need:
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
- garlic
- salt and pepper, to taste
I have whisked this dressing together, and I have blended it for a creamier, emulsified texture. It all depends on your personal preference. And the best part is that this vinaigrette can be made in advance.
If you’re serving this at the table, I like to toss about 1/4 – 1/3 cup of the Dijon Vinaigrette into the salad bowl with this Strawberry Spring Mix Salad and combine. But if you’re showing up to a party or potluck with this strawberry salad, I’d leave the dressing to the side and allow guests to add their own vinaigrette.
strawberry spring salad with goat cheese
Ingredients
strawberry spring salad
- 4 cups spring mix salad mix - any leafy greens will work
- 1 1/2 cup strawberries, sliced
- 1 medium cucumber, seeded and diced
- 6 ounces goat cheese, softened, and crumbled - omit if whole30, or dairy-free
- 1/4 cup walnut pieces - can use slivered almonds or chopped pecans instead
- 1 cup Dijon Vinaigrette - recipe below
Dijon vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic, minced - can also sub in 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more if needed, to taste
- 1 teaspoon pepper, to taste
Instructions
strawberry spring salad
- To a serving bowl, add all ingredients, except dressing. Toss to combine. When ready to serve, you can either add vinaigrette to bowl, or set aside for guests to dress themselves.
Dijon vinaigrette
- Combine all ingredients to a mason jar. Secure lid, and shake well to combine. Alternatively, you can also blend all ingredients together until dressing is thick and creamy, about 1-2 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
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I needed a side dish and had spinach in the fridge so I scrolled Pinterest for a good option.
I’ll start by saying that I’m not typically a fan of fresh spinach (love it cooked) but hubby loves it fresh (and prefers not to eat it cooked) *opposites attract 😆
I have a slew of allergies that keep me from trying a lot of recipes, but yours fit perfectly into my diet AND contained things I had on hand. What a fantastic discovery!
I LOVE THIS SALAD! I did sub white wine vinegar for the apple cider (I was out) but that didn’t seem to affect the taste. The dressing is divine! I adore the addition of cucumbers adding a crunch that I think push this salad over the top on my salad rating scale.
I served the dressing on the side, so I could use it for lunch the next day. My husband joked that “this is a really good restaurant” – we have been inside too long with COVID precautions apparently HA!
Thanks for sharing this! I’ve printed and placed it in my binder if “go-to” recipes. It’s THAT good!
This comment makes me SO happy! I am so thrilled you both enjoyed it and it worked with what you already had on hand. I also am not the biggest fan of raw spinach unless I can add a ton of other textures to it like this salad. Honored it made it to your recipe binder!
This is such a wonderful combo and I love anything that involves strawberry!
I agree, Richa!
So many flavors in this salad! Can’t wait for strawberry season!
Strawberries and goat cheese go so well together! A perfect spring salad!
My thoughts exactly!
I love how fresh and delicious this salad looks and sounds! The sweetness with the tangy just makes my tongue want to taste it!
Thanks, friend! I love that this is also low carb too!
Refreshing and vibrant ! Perfect timing ! Thank you !
Yes! A great side for Easter!