Our Strawberry Arugula Salad is packed with summertime flavor! Fresh garden arugula, microgreens, etc.
Plus, organic strawberries.
You can find the full recipe in the recipe card.
Strawberry Arugula Salad
If you’re a raving fan or casual salad eater, we have the salad for you!
We created ripe, uber-sweet organic strawberries and added more good things: fresh organic arugula, sweet basil, and super nutritious micro greens exist.
You will also find quarter rounds of sun-ripened vine tomatoes and crisp English cucumber.
Plus, since we’re using sweet strawberries, we added the crumbly texture of slightly salty, tangy feta cheese.
Then there are the crispy, crunchy bits of bagel bites and chopped praline pecans!
To top it all off, we drizzled our tangy strawberry vinaigrette all over the place!
Salads are the original one-and-done meal because you can add a little bit of something from all the food groups.
And because salads are traditionally served raw, it’s a delicious and healthier option.
Also, the appeal of salads is they are incredibly customizable, in that you can add or subtract as you see fit.
A salad can be super decadent with lots of stuff or paired down and simple.
Check out these salad recipes:
Here Is What You Will Need:
Arugula. The base of our salad consists of fresh arugula, we love the peppery flavor of arugula, but we also like the slim narrow leaves, which makes them ideal for salads because they don’t require a lot of cutting them into bite-size pieces.
Micro Greens. Then there’s the delicate, super fresh micro greens. Microgreens are a nutritional powerhouse. For this recipe, we used organic broccoli microgreens from Urban Eden.
Vine Ripened Tomatoes & Cucumbers. We love tomatoes and enjoy adding sun and vine-ripened tomatoes because they are much more flavorful than store-bought tomatoes. We also love English cucumbers because they are a bit sweeter than regular garden-variety cucumbers, and the seeds are more delicate and less pronounced.
Strawberries. We grabbed local fresh strawberries, a great addition to this recipe.
Feta Cheese. To balance out the sweet elements of our salad, we went with feta cheese. I love how well it crumbles; its salty and tangly flavor profile paired well with the acid of the tomatoes and the sweetness of the strawberries and praline pecans.
Bagel Chips. Here, we used herb bagel chips as croutons. We broke them apart with our fingers; you can also use a chef’s knife. The bagel croutons add flavor, but we also love the textural contrast, and they stay crunchy.
Chopped Praline Pecans. I don’t know what I thought when I added praline pecans to this delicious salad combo, but I am glad I did! The crunch! The sweetness! You have to try this; it’s a game-changer. No cap!
Adding chopped praline pecans is a great way to add a bit of texture and a touch of sweetness to your salad.
Nuts and seeds are great add-ins when it comes to salads. But nuts and seeds and sprouted seeds aren’t the only options; try these:
Additional Salad Add-Ins:
- Wasabi Peas
- Crispy Chickpeas, also known as Garbanzo beans
- Fried Onions
- Dried Fruits
How to make this Strawberry Summer Salad
2-3 servings
Ingredients:
- 5 sweet ripe strawberries, divided for cut in half and added to the salad
- 2 cups of organic arugula
- 1 cup of broccoli micro greens
- 2 vine ripe tomatoes cut into quarters
- 1 cup of cucumbers sliced thin
- 8-9 fresh sweet basil leaves
- 2-4 tbsps herb bagel pieces
- 2-4 tbsps chopped praline pecans
- 4-6 tbsps feta cheese
- flaky sea salt and cracked black peppercorns to taste
Directions:
- Prep the arugula by washing and draining the salad greens in a salad spinner. Rinse all of the remaining vegetables before cutting.
- Divide the ingredients into two salad serving bowls or combine them in a large bowl. Start with the arugula and micro greens, then divide the tomatoes and strawberries into half or quarter pieces and add to the salad mix. Add the sliced cucumbers, sweet basil, and feta cheese.
- Top the salad with bagel pieces and chopped praline pecans.
- Drizzle the strawberry vinaigrette (recipe listed below) on top to taste and serve.
- Add flaky sea salt and freshly cracked peppercorns to taste.
Strawberry Vinaigrette Recipe
Serving: 1 cup
Ingredients:
- 5 strawberries
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 tbsp + 1 tsp 2 agave, honey, or maple syrup
- 2 tbsps red wine vinegar
- 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
Directions:
Add the ingredients to a blender and pulse until smooth; adjust the vinegar and sweetness to taste.
Variations
Use different types of cheese. You can also use tangy goat cheese for this simple strawberry salad to create a flavorful and great side dish.
Use a different dressing. Varying the type of dress is a fun way to change the flavor of the fresh ingredients. You can make a homemade balsamic dressing, add your favorite lemon poppyseed dressing, or even do a mixture of one of the two with a drizzle of the homemade balsamic vinaigrette.
Add fun toppings. Everyone knows that a great recipe could always use more toppings! Tangy cheese, crunchy almonds, sliced strawberries, sliced red onion, chunks of blue cheese, goat cheese crumbles, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, pine nuts, or parmesan cheese would all be delicious on top of this strawberry arugula salad recipe.
Don’t forget that the perfect way you want to make this easy meal makes it the perfect dish.
How long will a Homemade Vinaigrette last?
This Strawberry Vinaigrette lasts up to two weeks when stored properly in the refrigerator.
You will want to store this homemade vinaigrette recipe in a clean, airtight container and refrigerate it when not in use.
What other salad greens can I use instead of arugula?
There are lots of options; here are some of our favorites:
- Romaine
- Butter Lettuce
- Watercress
- Baby Spinach
- Kale
- Dandelion Greens
Pro-tip: cut bitter greens like kale, collard greens, Swiss chard, etc., into thin strips and toss them with milder and sweeter greens.
Typically, I use a quarter (1/4 cup) of bitter greens to one (1 cup) of mild or sweet salad greens.
Bitter greens have more nutrients than milder salad greens.
Still, often, they aren’t as palatable, so mixing a lower ratio of bitter greens with a larger amount of sweeter varieties is a great way to enjoy the benefits of eating a salad that is good for you and tastes good, too.
Can I store leftover salad?
The key to storing leftover salad is to keep it without the dressing.
A prepared salad in an airtight container will last 4-5 days in the refrigerator.
No, freezing a salad will ruin the salad greens.
What other fresh herbs work well in a salad?
Great question; there are a variety of herbs and flowering herbs you can use to add taste and make your salad a feast for your eyes, too! Try these:
- Golden Variegated Sage or Tri-Colored Sage
- Marajam
- French Tarragon.
- Lavender.
- Dill & Dill Flower. Dill is such a versatile herb; it makes everything bright and refreshing with its unique, unforgettable taste, but those yellow flowerheads take a salad to the next level.
- Chive Flower. Chives are a great edible garnish, but the purple blooms are also edible, and their purple flowers add lots of visual interest to any salad.
- Mint. There are so many varieties of mint. We love lemon a lot.
- Nasturtium Flowers: these edible flowers add a peppery taste and a pop of color.
What are the benefits of using microgreens in this salad?
They are a good source of sulforaphane, anti-diabetic and anti-cholinergic benefits, and have high levels of vitamins A, C, E, and K, plus calcium, iron, and potassium.
So, let’s get into our Strawberry Arugula Salad and Strawberry Vinaigrette.
This one may become a new summertime favorite if you’re into salads.
It’s hearty enough to be a meal or divided into smaller serving bowls as a side salad for lunch or dinner.
As always, if you have any questions or have tried this salad and want to tell me how awesome it was, feel free to drop me a line in the comments section.
Also, what’s your favorite salad? I love trying all the new healthy things!
Strawberry Arugula Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- * 10 sweet ripe strawberries divided for cut in half and added to the salad; reserve five strawberries to make the vinaigrette
- 2 cups organic arugula
- 1 cup broccoli micro greens
- 2 vine ripe tomatoes cut into quarters
- 1 cup cucumbers sliced thin
- 8-9 fresh sweet basil leaves
- 2-4 tbsps herb bagel pieces
- 2-4 tbsps chopped praline pecans
- 4-6 tbsps feta cheese
- * flaky sea salt and cracked black peppercorns to taste
Instructions
- Prep the arugula by washing and draining the salad greens in a salad spinner. Rinse all of the remaining vegetables before cutting.
- Divide the ingredients into two salad serving bowls or combine them in a large bowl. Start with the arugula and micro greens, then divide the tomatoes and strawberries into half or quarter pieces and add to the salad mix. Add the sliced cucumbers, sweet basil, and feta cheese.
- Top the salad with bagel pieces and chopped praline pecans.
- Drizzle the strawberry vinaigrette (recipe listed below) on top to taste and serve.
- Add flaky sea salt and freshly cracked peppercorns to taste.
Notes
- 5 strawberries
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 tbsp + 1 tsp 2 agave, honey, or maple syrup
- 2 tbsps red wine vinegar
- 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
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