Strawberry Spinach Salad with Goat Cheese

This strawberry spinach salad with goat cheese is summer on a plate! Tender baby spinach topped with juicy sweet strawberries, red onions, smoky toasted pecans, and creamy goat cheese all drizzled with a homemade balsamic dressing. A feast for the eyes and the tastebuds.

Enjoy this salad for lunch or serve with a grilled meal. This salad is sure to brighten up any potluck or holiday table. Yum!

this Recipe

Table of Contents

• Ingredient Notes
• Step By Step Instructions
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Storing and Making Ahead
• Related Recipes
• Recipe

Ingredient Notes

• spinach - we like to use baby spinach and leave it whole, but roughly chopped spinach, spring mix or arugula would work wonderfully.
• red onion - thinly sliced red onion balances out the sweetness of the strawberries with its slightly sharp flavor.
• strawberries - I love strawberries in this salad for flavor and color, but raspberries, blackberries or blueberries would all work well.
• pecans - to kick things up a notch we use flavored nuts on salads. This salad uses some of my smoky toasted pecans , but you could also use candied or plain toasted pecans or walnuts instead.
• goat cheese - for this salad we crumbled in some vegan goat cheese. This is optional, but the creamy texture is a great addition. You could use regular goat cheese, feta or a dairy-free option.
• balsamic dressing - this super simple homemade dressing is made from olive oil, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. Balsamic and strawberries are a match made in heaven.

Step By Step Instructions

Start by mixing together the balsamic dressing so that the flavors can start to meld together. Add all the ingredients to a small jar and shake until combined. This will make more dressing than you need for this salad, but it keeps wonderfully in the fridge.

Red onions sometimes have a slightly bitter taste, so to mellow this out I like to soak them in cold water. Simply slice the onions thinly and cover them with cold water in a bowl. Leave them to soak for 10 minutes while you prepare the rest of the salad ingredients and then drain very well before adding.

In a large bowl or platter start by layering in the spinach and then adding the remaining ingredients.

Drizzle with the balsamic dressing just before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Storing and Making Ahead

This strawberry spinach salad with goat cheese is best served immediately after preparing. However, if preparing ahead for a potluck or party, I would add the strawberries and dressing on at the last minute.

That being said, I put leftovers of this already dressed salad in the fridge and it was still delicious (if slightly wilted) the next day.

Any leftover dressing can be stored in an air-tight container in the fridge for a week.