A beautifully balanced salad of peppery baby arugula, fresh strawberries, crunchy pistachios and creamy, tart goat cheese, all drizzled with an easy homemade balsamic vinaigrette!
I had a huge garden at our old house. It was a 12x12 plot that my husband and I dug ourselves when we first moved in. And dug quickly, since it was already May and I wanted to get plants in the ground.
I think it was the second year that I planted arugula seeds for the first time.
I thought I would try it out and see how they did, hoping to get some yummy salad greens that I didn’t have to pay an arm and a leg for.
The arugula went wild.
I had planted several rows and we had arugula coming out of our ears. I made arugula salad after arugula salad until I quickly realized I would never be able to keep up.
So I added arugula to our sandwiches, pasta dishes, pizzas and anywhere else I could think to put it.
Then I got smart and made a big batch of arugula pesto because it used a ton of arugula at one time. I froze some of the pesto and used it for sandwiches and pasta and potatoes and pizza.
Finally, my husband said, “Enough with the arugula.” 😬
I love the stuff, but I could sorta see his point.
It’s been three years now and he’s finally recovered from our season of arugula overload.
Unfortunately, our new house doesn’t get great sun in the backyard so my garden plot has been drastically reduced.
No homegrown arugula for me again this year. But I will happily buy some (on occasion) for it’s lovely, peppery flavor. And for this strawberry arugula salad.
It’s got tender baby arugula, fresh, sweet strawberries, salty, crunchy pistachios and creamy, tangy goat cheese. Then it's all drizzled in an easy homemade balsamic vinaigrette. (The same one I use on our super simple spinach salad.)
This strawberry arugula salad just calls out spring and summer to me and has such a great balance of flavors and textures.
It comes together quickly too and is a lovely light lunch or a great dinner side dish. ❤️
Notes on strawberry arugula salad:
- I prefer baby arugula here because it has a more mild flavor. You could also use a baby arugula and baby spinach mix if you prefer.
- I love the pistachios in this salad, but you could substitute another nut. Pecans or walnuts would be good.
- The balsamic vinaigrette in the recipe card is super simple to mix up, but you could substitute a store-bought dressing too. You could also use a citrus dressing instead if you'd like.
It's definitely one of those salads where you will carefully choose each forkful so you can get a bit of each ingredient in every bite you take. (That's not just me, right?)
And you will love the mingling that happens in your mouth. 😍
Pick or buy some strawberries and arugula and give this salad a try.
(And if you’re growing arugula and your family tires of it, feel free to send some my way! 😉)
Enjoy!
XO,
Kathryn
Arugula salad with strawberries, pistachios and goat cheese
An arugula salad with sweet strawberries, crunchy pistachios and tart goat cheese, in a homemade balsamic vinaigrette.
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 4 cups baby arugula
- 1 cup strawberries, sliced
- ½ cup pistachios
- ½ cup crumbled goat cheese
For the balsamic vinaigrette:
- ½ clove minced garlic
- 1 overflowing tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- pinch of sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Combine the salad ingredients in a large bowl.
- In a small jar or container with a tight-fitting lid, all all of the balsamic vinaigrette ingredients. Cover and shake well to combine.
- Drizzle salad with the vinaigrette and toss well to combine.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
You could also use a baby arugula and baby spinach mix for this salad if you prefer.
I love the pistachios in this salad, but you could substitute another nut. Pecans or walnuts would be good.
Michelle | A Dish of Daily Life
Sadly, I have no good spot for a garden, so I get most of my veggies from our CSA. I do have pots of tomatoes though...you can never have enough summer tomatoes (in my opinion)! I really love arugula too and use it a lot in salads as well. I've never paired it with strawberries though...looks like I have a new recipe to try! 🙂
Kathryn
A CSA is a garden without all the fuss 😉 But yes, tomatoes are a must because I can always find ways to use those and nothing beats homegrown! Hope you give this combo a try - it's one of my favorites 🙂
Jess
Wow, talk about delicious! I especially love your food-tography 🙂 totally pinning, have a great day! xo
Kathryn
Thanks so much Jess! Have a great weekend!
Frugal Hausfrau
What a beautiful salad and I can see how the arugula would contrast so nicely with the berries! And that balsamic! I didn't realize arugula was so prolific! My yard is very shady so I grow my herbs or a container or two of peppers or tomatoes on the deck...there's not much room for much more!
Thanks for bringing this by Throwback Thursday! We're already looking forward to what you'll bring next week! 🙂
Mollie
Kathryn
Thanks for hosting, Mollie! And I didn't know that about arugula either until I planted it... I don't even have a very green thumb so it must have liked the conditions or is just really, really hearty 🙂
Carlee
Salads like this are my favorite! Put fruit, nuts and a tangy cheese on a salad and I am sure to love it. Too bad about the garden. We are moving ours this year and scaling back a bit as there never seems to be enough time to get it all done. Fingers crossed the plants like the spot we pick out for them!
Kathryn
I know, such a great combination of salad ingredients, whichever ones you use! Hope your garden does well this year!!
Helen Fern
What a fabulous flavor combination!! This is a must try! Thanks for sharing on the "what's for dinner" linky!
Kathryn
All the ingredients here really do balance each other well 🙂 Thanks Helen!
Angela
I Love adding fruit to salad and this looks so fresh & delicious! Pinned :-)I would Love for you to add this the Sunday Fitness & Food Link-Up at:www.marathonsandmotivation.com
Kathryn
Thanks Angela! Fruit on salad is one of my favorites, too! I'll definitely come check out the link party 🙂
Alison
I have never tried argula, will have to look for it. Your salad looks lovely, great flavour combo
Kathryn
Alison, it's such a great lettuce! Get the baby arugula, as it's much more tender and has a slight (but not overwhelming) peppery bite to it. SO good!
Shehla Ahmed
This is the most beautiful salad! I don't eat very many salads, but this is one I need to try! Found you over at the Lazy Gastrome Linkup!
Kathryn
Thanks so much Shehla! This salad has a lot of great textures and flavors mingling together - hope you try it!
Jenna @ A Savory Feast
Goat cheese is my favorite! I don't think I've ever tried it on a salad, though. This sounds so good! Thanks for sharing it with us at the Wednesday Showcase.
Kathryn
Oh, you'll love it on a salad Jenna! And thanks for hosting 🙂
Swagatika Rath
This is the most beautiful salad..
Kathryn
Thank you! I hope you enjoy it!