Strawberry Salad with Honey Vinaigrette (VIDEO)
I call this my “Instagram-worthy” Strawberry Salad. It’s loaded with fresh summer strawberries, spring greens, crunchy toasted almonds, and creamy feta and is dressed in a sweet and tangy honey vinaigrette.
This salad is perfect for any summer get-together because it comes together fast and it’s gorgeous. In fact, I included it in my Natasha’s Kitchen Cookbook because I knew you’d love it as much as we do.
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The Best Strawberry Salad Recipe
There’s no denying that summer strawberries taste infinitely better than winter strawberries so when they are at their peak of flavor, we put them to good use. We’re cranking out everything, from Strawberry Lemonade to Strawberry Sauce, and lets forget the famous Strawberry Pretzel Salad.
Strawberries have so much more potential than only satisfying the sweet tooth. Putting them into fresh salad for a sweet and savory combination is… everything.
This is a great dish to bring to potlucks when the weather finally warms up. This gorgeous Strawberry Salad with Honey Vinaigrette is refreshing and perfect for your next summer cookout.
Why You’ll Love This Strawberry Salad
- Quick – It takes less than 15 minutes to make the salad and whisk the dressing
- Simple – Only a few ingredients are needed to make this salad truly shine, but don’t skimp on strawberries
- Serves a Crowd – Easily scale the recipe up and down for a quiet gathering or big summer barbecue
- Versatile – I’ve included some variations below to make this salad fit your tastes and any dietary needs
Strawberry Salad Video
Watch Natasha assemble this fresh summer Strawberry salad comes together in only a few minutes. You’ll love the contrast of sweet strawberries and toasted almonds, and it also looks divine!
Ingredients for Strawberry Salad
Each ingredient in our delicious Strawberry Salad with Honey Vinaigrette adds something special to the salad—sweetness, crunch, creaminess, bite, and richness—which makes for a truly well-balanced and delicious salad with many layers of texture and flavor.
- Salad greens – The Crunch – the different textures and colors in the spring mix make it a perfect base for this salad
- Strawberries – The Sweet – When I make a salad with strawberries, I prefer to slice the fruit to make it easy to fit in each bite, but you can halve or chop if you prefer.
- Feta cheese – The Creamy – feta cheese is salty and creamy, but you can omit this for a vegan salad option
- Red onion – The Bite – the perfect way to add a punch of flavor and freshness to the salad.
- Almonds – The Richness – We toast these in the first step. You can skip this step, but I encourage you to take the extra few minutes. It enhances the nutty flavor and makes the salad so amazing.
- Dressing ingredients – olive oil, red wine vinegar, honey, dijon mustard, salt and pepper
Pro Tip:
If the bite of the red onion is too strong for you but you want to keep the crunchy texture, I learned this great tip from Simply Recipes: soak the sliced onions in cold water for 10 to 15 minutes to mellow the flavor then drain well.
Variations
For a twist on our Strawberry Salad recipe, try these easy swaps:
- Swap the Greens – try baby spinach or arugula for a different flavor and texture
- Use Seasonal Fruit – try raspberries, chopped peaches, blackberries, or mandarin oranges
- Nuts – Use chopped pistachios, Candied Pecans, or Candied Walnuts in place of almonds
- Cheese Options – swap feta for milder goat cheese or gorgonzola. You can also use mozzarella pearls.
- Vinegar – you can substitute the red wine vinegar with balsamic vinegar, white balsamic vinegar, or champaign vinegar, adding them to taste. You can also swap out the dressing completely for a Balsamic Glaze which works especially well if you’re using goat cheese.
- Make it a Meal – Add protein like shredded or Baked Chicken Breast, or Quinoa to take it from a side dish to a main dish
How to Make Strawberry Salad with Honey Vinaigrette
It’s so simple to build this strawberry salad with the dressing in less than 15 minutes.
- Toast the Almonds – toss the nuts in a skillet over medium heat. Toss frequently to avoid burning and toast until golden, for about 5 minutes.
- Make the Dressing – in a small bowl or in a mason jar, whisk olive oil, vinegar, honey, dijon, salt and pepper together until combined. Note: You can also make the dressing in a mason jar and shake it up.
- Arrange Salad Ingredients – Place greens, sliced strawberries, onion, almonds, and feta into a large bowl.
- Add the dressing – Drizzle the honey vinaigrette over the salad green mixture and then toss to combine.
Pro Tip:
This strawberry summer salad tastes best mixed just before serving. You can mix the salad ingredients, but wait until it’s time to serve before drizzling the dressing then toss to evenly coat the salad and allow the flavors to marry in the bowl.
What to Serve with Strawberry Salad
This salad is perfectly paired with a protein and crusty bread. Here are a few of our favorite recipes:
Make-Ahead
Since strawberries start to lose their vibrance quickly after they are sliced, strawberry salad tastes best made just before serving. Before the dressing is mixed in, you can store it for one day in the fridge. We like to store the jar in a mason jar with a tight-fitting lid – this way if the dressing separates (which is very normal), you can simply shake vigorously until well combined.
This fresh strawberry salad is so pretty on the plate, you’ll want to take a photo of it and share it on social media (just be sure to tag me so I can see it!). But it’s not just beautiful; it tastes as good as it looks. It’s a keeper!
More Summer Strawberry Recipes
If you’re looking for a way to use all those ripe, sweet, juicy strawberries, you won’t want to miss these delicious strawberry recipes:
Strawberry Salad with Honey Vinaigrette
This Strawberry Salad Recipe hits all the right notes with sweet, tangy, and savory bites that will have this salad on your summer menu all season long. The honey vinaigrette is lip-smacking good and really brings out the sweet strawberry flavor.
Servings: 6 servings
For the Strawberry Salad:
For Honey Vinaigrette:
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Place a medium skillet over medium heat. Add sliced almonds to the dry skillet and toast, tossing the nuts frequently until fragrant and golden (5-7 minutes). Transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool.
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In a measuring cup or mason jar, combine the dressing ingredients and whisk until well blended.
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Add salad greens to a large serving bowl. Top with sliced strawberries, red onion, almonds, and feta cheese.
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Just before serving, drizzle dressing over the salad to taste and toss to combine for the flavors to meld.
Onion Note: To take the harsh bite out of fresh onion (while keeping it crisp), slice the onion, soak in cold water for 10-15 minutes, then drain well.
Red Wine Vinegar: not all kinds of vinegar are created equal – get the best quality you can afford, and you can add it to taste. You can substitute the red wine vinegar with balsamic vinegar, white balsamic vinegar, or champagne vinegar, adding them to taste. You can also swap out the dressing completely for a Balsamic Glaze which works especially well if you’re using goat cheese.
208kcal Calories13g Carbs4g Protein16g Fat
Nutrition Facts
Strawberry Salad with Honey Vinaigrette
Amount per Serving
% Daily Value*
Saturated Fat
Trans Fat
Polyunsaturated Fat
Monounsaturated Fat
Cholesterol
Potassium
Carbohydrates
Vitamin A
Vitamin C
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Good Things
Speaking of summer, our kids are finally wrapping up school this week and we’re working on our summer bucket list. One of the things on that list is doing active things together as a family. This weekend, we ventured out to the foothills and took a hike with the kids and it was so good for all of us.
Admittedly, I have this misconception in my brain that the best adventures require getting on an airplane, but this was such a good reminder that the most beautiful moments can be found in our own backyard. Do you keep a summer bucket list? I’d love to hear your ideas in the comments!
P.S. Stay tuned for next Friday’s new video recipe for Cherry Clafoutis; a French dessert you won’t want to miss!
Loads of Love, – Natasha
