Strawberry Arugula Salad

Crisp, sweet and tangy, this strawberry arugula salad is a perfect dinner first course or a fine light lunch on its own. It comes together quickly and easily, and in fact, if you make the vinaigrette dressing ahead of time, you can prepare the salad in less than five minutes. Once you’ve tried the base recipe here, you can test out a plethora of other ingredients, making it your own signature salad.

Strawberry Arugula Salad Ingredients

• Arugula: Make sure your greens are good and fresh. Since there are a fair amount of moist ingredients in this arugula and strawberry salad, you want crisp, dry arugula as the base. Baby spinach is a good option here too.
• Fresh strawberries: Use about 1-1/2 cups of strawberries, sliced thin and separated before you toss them into the salad, as strawberry slices tend to stick together.
• Almonds or pine nuts: It’s your call on using slivered almonds or pine nuts (which are small enough to be left whole). The former will add more texture, the latter will add more flavor.
• Garlic-and-herb feta cheese: If you can’t find a garlic-and-herb feta, just use a basic feta cheese, though the rich taste of a flavored feta is certainly welcome.
• Green onions: Use four green onions, well chopped, and with the dark green and pale green portions of the veggie used, but not any of the white.

Vinaigrette:

• Olive oil: The base of any great vinaigrette is a great olive oil. Use an extra virgin olive oil for this dressing.
• Dijon mustard: You can use as spicy or mild a Dijon mustard as you please, with Grey Poupon being a fine choice—it’s a classic for a reason.
• Red wine vinegar: Red wine vinegar is actually relatively subtle in taste compared with a more robust balsamic, adding a bright tartness and acidity without being overwhelming.
• Lemon juice: Fresh lemon juice is always best in dressings, so juice a lemon yourself if you have any on hand, but a bottled lemon juice works fine as well.
• Balsamic vinegar: Balsamic vinegar is potent stuff, so be sure to measure out the portion with care.
• Rosemary: Use 1 teaspoon of freshly minced rosemary, or 1/4 teaspoon of dried rosemary that has been crushed.
• Sage: Same deal with the sage, use 1 teaspoon of the fresh herb, or 1/4 teaspoon of dried and crushed sage leaves.
• Celery seed: Celery seed is surprisingly potent in flavor, so be sure to use only the prescribed 1/2 teaspoon.
• Pepper: Just 1/8 teaspoon of black pepper delivers a welcome little edge to this salad dressing.

Directions

Step 1: Combine the salad ingredients

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In a salad bowl, combine the arugula, strawberries, nuts, feta and green onion.

Step 2: Add the dressing

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In a small bowl, whisk the vinaigrette ingredients together. Drizzle the dressing over the salad, then toss to coat.

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Strawberry Arugula Salad Variations

• Use spinach instead: If you don’t have any arugula on hand (or you’re in the “I can’t stand arugula!” camp) then you can use baby spinach instead and the salad will still come out great.
• Swap the feta for a different cheese: You can add an extra tangy and rich flavor to this salad by using blue cheese crumbles instead of feta, or you can add a unique texture with cottage cheese.
• Go nuts: Add 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts to the salad—without omitting the almonds or pine nuts—to add a nutty flavor and some welcome crunch.

How to Store Strawberry Arugula Salad

This salad does not keep well once it’s dressed, so if you think you have extra, leave a portion undressed and store it for up to two days in an airtight container, keeping the dressing in a separate vessel.

Can you make arugula salad with strawberries ahead of time?

This salad is best when it’s made fresh and enjoyed right away, and once it has been dressed it really needs to be eaten within a half hour or so. If need be, you can prepare the salad a few hours in advance, keeping the dressing separate. Give the dressing a stir or a shake before you drizzle it over the salad right before you serve it.

Arugula Strawberry Salad Tips

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Can I use basic oil and vinegar instead of vinaigrette?

To cut your prep time down by a good 70% to 80%, don’t make the full vinaigrette and instead just dress this salad with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, using a 2-to-1 or 3-to-1 oil-to-vinegar ratio, depending on your preference.

What pairs well with this salad with arugula and strawberries?

This is a light and sweet salad, so an entree with a robust flavor profile is ideal, like a steak, grilled chicken with barbecue sauce or a pork chop.

Is this a healthy salad?

Very much so! It has fewer than 110 calories per serving and just 9 grams of fat, most of which are healthy fats from the oil and nuts.