This strawberry goat cheese salad is brimming with California flavor. Filling and healthy, it’s loaded with fresh ingredients including walnuts and avocados, and topped with a homemade strawberry balsamic vinaigrette.
It’s a perfect side dish or light lunch. Or make this a main course by adding your favorite protein such as grilled chicken, shrimp, or tofu.
Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad Ingredients
This salad contains the fresh ingredients California is famous for including strawberries, walnuts, avocados, and goat cheese.
Famous California Strawberries
Californians are wild about their strawberries. And for good reason. These berries are not only delicious, they’re filled with antioxidants and vitamin C. Watsonville calls itself the Strawberry Capital of the World (although other cities also claim this title). In addition, Oxnard is the home each year for the California Strawberry Festival (sadly canceled in 2020).
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Heart-Healthy Walnuts
Did you know that more than 99 percent of walnuts sold in the United States are grown in California? That’s nuts! 🌰😁
These tasty treats are great salad toppers and also a great source of healthy fats (omega-3s).
Nutritious California Avocados
Avocados are another signature California fruit (yes, an avocado is a fruit). The California climate offers ideal growing conditions for avocados and with more than 3,500 growers in the state, you will see avocados everywhere.
It’s All About the Goat Cheese
But the star of this salad is really the tangy, creamy goat cheese. Of course, you can use any quality goat cheese in this recipe, but because its inspiration is my home state of California I used Laura Chenel goat cheese. For more than 40 years, the Laura Chenel creamery has been making premium goat cheese in the French tradition in beautiful Sonoma County. My favorites are the Garlic & Chive and the Orange Blossom Honey goat cheese.
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Looking for a vegan alternative? Try the Dairy-Free Chèvre Mix from Urban Cheesecraft and make your own vegan goat cheese.
Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette
The perfect topping for a strawberry goat cheese salad is naturally a strawberry balsamic vinaigrette. You can whip up this vinaigrette in a few minutes. Loaded with strawberries, it also contains fresh oregano and a touch of honey for a slightly sweet yet tangy taste. Raw California honey is great in this dressing!
Check out our other salad recipes such as French Salad with Walnuts, Pears, and Grapes.
Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad
Ingredients
- 5 ounces mixed greens
- 1/4 cup fresh basil
- 1/4 cup walnut pieces
- 3/4 cup goat cheese
- 1 3/4 cups strawberries divided
- 1 avocado
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 3 teaspoons fresh oregano chopped
- pinch salt
- pinch pepper
Instructions
- Crumble goat cheese and set aside in a small bowl.
- Cut avocados in half and remove the pit. Scoop the avocado half out of the skin with a spoon and cut into slices.
- Remove the hulls from the strawberries using a huller or knife and cut into even slices.
- Place 3/4 cup of strawberries, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, garlic, honey, oregano, salt, and pepper in a blender and blend until smooth.
- Toss greens and basil on four salad plates.
- Top salads with walnuts, strawberries, and crumbled goat cheese. Arrange avocado slices on the sides of each salad plate.
- Drizzle about 2 tablespoons of strawberry balsamic vinaigrette dressing on each salad. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Optionally, you can create a single salad by tossing the greens and basil in a large bowl.
- To make this salad a meal, add your favorite protein. Grilled chicken, shrimp, or tofu all work well in this recipe.
Nutrition
14 comments
I could eat this salad every week!
I love all the ingredients in this salad and am delighted to learn about Laura Chenel creamery, which is new to me. I will look for those products near me. Since I grew up in California (until my 20’s) I am pretty attached to food from the state myself. Too bad about the Strawberry Festival (and the Garlic Festival, etc).
Yes, the Laura Chenel cheese is wonderful! You should try it if you can find it where you live. It’s in all the stores here.
Never considered strawberries as part of a salad before! Must try it out! Looks appetizing!
Love the idea of making all the healthy ingredient together. As you said, addition of chicken and tofu will enhance the taste and serves for perfect meal.
I love salads and this looks delicious and healthy. I love all the ingredients – avocado, strawberries, walnuts and goat cheese. So easy to put together too. Looks quite filling, as well. Definitely a 5-star recipe!
This salad looks very delicious. I like all the ingredients you use in it!
What a unique sounding recipe. Love strawberries in salads. YUM!
This looks so good. Sumers and monsoon are ideal time for salads and this will be very helpful
What a beautiful salad! Love how colorful it is!
This is a beautiful summer salad. I love goat’s cheese but have never had it with strawberries. Definitely going to make this at the weekend!
Love adding strawberries to salad. Thanks for sharing.
I love such simple and hearty dishes to make on hot summer days. The strawberry goat cheese salad looks yum.
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