Name: Strawberry Avocado Salad With Feta And Arugula
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: ½ cup (120ml) olive oil (extra virgin); 3 tbsp (45ml) vinegar of choice (balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar); 1 tbsp Dijon mustard; 1 tbsp maple syrup or honey; 1/2 tsp chili flakes (or to taste (optional)); 1/2 tsp sea salt (or to taste); 1/4 tsp Freshly ground black pepper (or to taste); 1 garlic clove (pressed or minced (optional)); 6 packed cups of fresh arugula or baby spinach (washed and spinned); 1 pint strawberries (rinsed, hulled and halved); ½ a small red onion (thinly sliced); 3/4 cup (113g) crumbled feta cheese; 2/3 cup (72g) roughly chopped pecans; 2 ripe avocados (peeled, pitted and diced)

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

This strawberry avocado salad recipe is topped with tangy feta, crunchy pecans, creamy avocado, and savory Dijon vinaigrette. It tastes like summer in a bowl and makes a quick, easy, and colorful side dish or light lunch.

Strawberry avocado salad recipe-17

Hey Foodies,

Today I’m sharing a healthy and bright salad that features crunchy vegetables, sweet strawberries, and satisfying pecans.

This is a fantastic summertime meal. It takes less than 15 minutes to make and is easy to adapt for Whole30, Paleo, Keto and vegan diets (I’ll tell you how in the Tips & Tricks below).

This strawberry avocado salad with feta and arugula is topped with a classic vinaigrette that you can make spicy or sweet. Actually, it is filled with classic flavors.

Related:

Keto Shrimp and Avocado Salad

It starts with a bed of bright and peppery arugula. Like any leafy green, arugula is packed with nutrients. Plus it has a lovely flavor on its own.

Next come plump and juicy strawberries, which add natural sweetness and a gorgeous color. They’re delightful with creamy, perfectly ripe avocado, which balances out some of the peppery flavor from the arugula.

Toss in a handful of satisfying pecans for crunch and protein plus a sprinkle of crumbled feta cheese. Finally, dress everything up with a classic and easy homemade vinaigrette.

When you’re ready to serve, give your avocado strawberry salad a thorough toss to coat it in the dressing. Just like that, you’re done: a vibrant, healthy plant-based salad that’s popping with nutrients and colors.

Warning: you might want to mix up a double batch of that creamy and zingy Dijon vinaigrette because once this salad is gone, I have a feeling you’ll already be thinking about when you can have it next.

Before you get mixing and tossing, here are a few super helpful tips and tricks to make this recipe seamless.

How to Make a Strawberry Avocado Salad Easy – Best Tips & Tricks

1. What is the best dressing for avocado strawberry feta salad?

When it comes to salads that include berries, I like to use a vinaigrette dressing. I love the combination of sweet fruits and tangy vinaigrette.

A classic vinaigrette is a traditional French dressing that’s made with a 1:3 ratio of vinegar to oil.

What’s fun about a vinaigrette like the one that dresses this arugula avocado salad is that you can mix and match the flavors. As long as you stick to the handy 1:3 ratio, you can use any vinegar or oil you like.

The classic combination is extra-virgin olive oil and red or white wine vinegar, but balsamic gives a subtle sweetness and intensity that I love.

If you have a fun flavored vinegar, such as tarragon or citrus, why not give it a try to top this salad?

I like to round out the oil and vinegar in my dressing with a few more flavor-boosting ingredients. For this easy vinaigrette recipe, I add some Dijon mustard and a dash of maple syrup or honey. The subtle spice from the mustard and sweetness from maple round out the umami flavor.

And the best part is that making this vinaigrette could not be easier. Simply add all of the ingredients to a glass jar, screw the lid on tightly, and shake vigorously to emulsify.

2. Which ingredients can be replaced in this avocado strawberry salad recipe?

Another reason to love this arugula avocado salad recipe is that it’s so easy to mix and match the ingredients using whatever you have on hand.

For example, if you have other greens like baby spinach, romaine lettuce or a mix of different salad greens, any of them will work to replace the arugula.

I love the tangy addition of crumbled feta on top of this strawberry avocado salad. But if you’re not a fan, use your favorite cheese as a replacement. A dusting of crumbled stilton or aged goat cheese would be great on this salad.

The chopped pecans add crunch and heft to this summery salad. But if you’re not a pecan person, walnuts, hazelnuts, pistachios, cashews or almonds are all fantastic substitutes. Bonus if you toast the nuts for extra crunch!

For a nut-free take, use crunchy pumpkin or sunflower seeds.

3. Can I make this salad Vegan, Paleo, Whole30, or Keto?

Of course! This versatile avocado strawberry salad recipe is your friend when it comes to a number of diets.

To make a Paleo or Whole30 version of this strawberry avocado salad, skip the cheese. When you’re making the vinaigrette, leave out the maple syrup or honey. And be sure to check your mustard. It’s Whole30 and Paleo-friendly as long as it doesn’t contain sugar.

To make this avocado strawberry salad recipe vegan, remove the cheese or substitute it with your favorite vegan cheese. For the salad dressing, use maple syrup instead of honey.

Finally, for a Keto version of this avocado salad, simply leave out the maple syrup or honey from the vinaigrette. The good news is that this salad recipe already has a Keto-friendly ratio of fats to carbs.

4. Can you do meal planning with this arugula avocado salad?

This is a fantastic salad recipe for meal planning. Prepare a big batch of strawberry avocado salad ahead of time, and you’re set for a week of healthy, vegetable-packed lunches.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when you use this recipe for meal planning:

First, when you’re preparing the salad, be sure to dry the greens and strawberries very well. Extra moisture will cause the produce to go wilt faster.

To keep your salad fresh, rinse the arugula and dry it in a salad spinner*. Then lay the greens onto paper towels and blot the leaves dry before placing them in your meal prep containers*.

Similarly, rinse your strawberries and blot them dry before slicing them and adding to the meal prep containers. If you dry everything well, the salad will keep fresh for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator.

To package this salad up for easy on-the-go meals, divide the salad between air-tight containers*. Store the dressing in a separate container and add it just before you dig in.

Finally, if you want to keep the pecans extra-crunchy for your avocado strawberry salad, you may want to keep them separate too. Nuts tend to get a little soft if stored in the fridge. So pack a bag of chopped pecans and toss them in just before lunch for the crunchiest bites.

5. Can you use frozen strawberries?

I do not recommend using frozen strawberries for this arugula avocado salad recipe.

As soon as they defrost, the strawberries will be total mush. Fresh strawberries have crunch, bright flavor and they’re juicy! Soggy frozen strawberries simply won’t give you the same experience.

If you’re looking for a tasty use for a bag of frozen strawberries, there are plenty! Try a sweet and colorful sorbet or a fresh fruit smoothie.

6. What to serve with avocado strawberry pecan salad?

The fresh, summery flavors of this avocado strawberry salad mean that it pairs well with a range of light and bright meals. It’s a perfect side dish for a night of grilling.

How good does a tender and plump grilled chicken breast sound, paired with sweet and savory strawberry avocado salad? A nice piece of fish or even a grilled steak would also be a delicious protein pairing.

Or, to pump up the protein in the salad itself, you can top it with grilled or poached shrimp.

If you are vegetarian and want to add a little more heft to this salad, serve it with a side of crispy smashed potatoes.

Whichever protein or side you choose to pair with this salad, I strongly recommend a cold glass of bubbly prosecco or rosé wine. The fruity flavors will enhance the strawberries’ natural sweetness even more.

Now I simply can’t wait to get outside by the grill and enjoy this fresh and fruity strawberry avocado salad with feta and arugula and a chilled glass of my favorite wine. So let’s get cooking!

Last thing before you go: if you love this salad recipe video, there are more unique and easy recipes where that came from. Subscribe to my YouTube channel and you’ll never miss one!

More Fresh Salad Recipes with Avocado:

Strawberry Avocado Salad With Feta And Arugula – Recipe Video

How to Make a Strawberry Avocado Salad Easy – Best Tips & Tricks

1. What is the best dressing for avocado strawberry feta salad?

2. Which ingredients can be replaced in this avocado strawberry salad recipe?

3. Can I make this salad Vegan, Paleo, Whole30, or Keto?

4. Can you do meal planning with this arugula avocado salad?

5. Can you use frozen strawberries?

6. What to serve with avocado strawberry pecan salad?

Strawberry Avocado Salad With Feta And Arugula

Ingredients

For the vinaigrette:

For the salad:

Instructions

TO MAKE THE DRESSING:

TO MAKE THE SALAD:

Recipe Notes

Nutrition