Strawberry & Goat Cheese Green Salad with Basil Vinaigrette Recipe

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This fresh green salad gets a pop of color and vitamins from sliced strawberries, and is mixed with creamy goat cheese and basil vinaigrette for extra flavor.
Strawberry & Goat Cheese Green Salad with Basil Vinaigrette Recipe

“If I actually liked the ingredients in there, that salad would look really good,” said my 9-year old son as I was photographing this recipe. Umm…thank you? Well, this might not be a hit with the under 10 crowd, but I think this strawberry and goat cheese green salad would be a welcome addition to any Easter meal. After all, we all need something healthy to offset the pounds of Easter cookies and chocolate eggs we are bound to consume. Whether you celebrate with a brunch of Heath Bar Cinnamon Rolls and Hot Cross Buns, or a more traditional meal of ham and Scalloped Potatoes with Three Cheeses, this light and easy dish boasts the flavors of spring.

The basil vinaigrette follows the basic principles outlined in How to: Make a Vinaigrette, using a ratio of vinegar and oil and an earthy flavor from fresh herbs. The bright green dressing comes together in minutes by being pureed in a blender. The rest of the salad is a simple combination of red leaf lettuce, sweet strawberries, tangy goat cheese and toasted almonds.

The recipe:

The vinaigrette:

In a blender or mini food processor, combine fresh basil leaves, white wine vinegar and olive oil. Puree until fairly smooth (small pieces of basil are okay). Season to taste with salt and pepper.

StrawberryGSSalad3

The salad:

In a small skillet set over medium heat, toast slivered almonds until light golden brown, stirring occasionally. Watch carefully so that the almonds do not burn.

Strawberry GS Salad Collage

In a large bowl, combine torn red leaf lettuce, sliced strawberries, almonds and crumbled goat cheese. Toss with desired amount of basil vinaigrette. You will not need all of the vinaigrette. Serve immediately.

StrawberryGSSaladLS

Other green salads with fruit:

Cookin’ Canuck’s Spinach Salad with Chicken, Orange & Avocado
Cookin’ Canuck’s Spinach Salad with Fuyu Perismmon, Jicama & Avocado w/Miso Dresing
Family Fresh Cooking’s Salad with Goat Cheese Toasted Pecan Balls & Raspberry Vinaigrette
Citron et Vanille’s Grilled Sweet Potato & Spinach Salad with Blood Orange

Strawberry & Goat Cheese Green Salad with Basil Vinaigrette Recipe

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 salad
Amount Per Serving As Served
Calories 291kcal Calories from fat 247
% Daily Value
Total Fat 27g 42%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Transfat 0g
Cholesterol 7mg 2%
Sodium 433mg 18%
Carbohydrate 8g 3%
Dietary Fiber 3g 12%
Sugars 4g
Protein 6g

Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs:

Calories 2000
Total Fat Less than 65g
Sat Fat Less than 25g
Cholesterol Less than 300mg
Sodium Less than 2,400mg
Total Carbohydrate 300g
Dietary Fiber 25g
Preparation 15 mins
Cook Time 5 mins
Total Time 20 mins
Serves Serves 4     adjust servings

Ingredients

The vinaigrette

  • 10 large fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
  • 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

The salad

  • 1/3 cup sliced almonds
  • 6 cups (packed) torn red lettuce leaves
  • 1 1/4 cups sliced fresh strawberries
  • 2 oz. goat cheese, crumbled

Instructions

    The vinaigrette:

    1. In a blender or mini food processor, combine fresh basil leaves, white wine vinegar and olive oil. Puree until fairly smooth (small pieces of basil are okay). Season to taste with salt and pepper.

    The salad:

    1. In a small skillet set over medium heat, toast slivered almonds until light golden brown, stirring occasionally. Watch carefully so that the almonds do not burn.
    2. In a large bowl, combine torn red leaf lettuce, sliced strawberries, almonds and crumbled goat cheese. Toss with desired amount of basil vinaigrette. You will not need all of the vinaigrette. Serve immediately.

    by

    Recipe Notes

    From the kitchen of Cookin' Canuck | cookincanuck.com

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    Comments

    5. love a tart salad with strawberry vinaigrette so I know I would like this one with the mild goat cheese and fresh berries too
      Happy Easter and holiday cooking to you and yours Dara…

      Reply

    13. Brilliant salad. I was at the grocery store yesterday and unfortunately the island is out of strawberries, apparently. Sigh. I’d love to find some before Sunday tho so we could have this lovely salad with our ham! Thanks so much for sharing.

      Reply

    14. Just bought all these ingredients at the store today before stumbling on your post. Guess I know what I’m trying for lunch today. Thank you!!

      Reply

    24. Getting youngsters to try anything is always a challenge, but once you do get them out of their “comfort zone” they discover new tastes and favorites.

      I made a very similar salad just a few days ago (no goat cheese) and added some red raspberries to the vinaigrette.

      Reply

    27. Dara, I always love the pairing of goat cheese and berries! My kids would do the same thing as your son. They gawk over my food styling sessions and then won’t eat half of the stuff when offered. Go figure! More for us 🙂 Thanks for linking back to my raspberry goat cheese salad.

      Reply

    30. Love this salad. I’m creating a similar strawberry salad right now, but with a different dressing, but yours is tops! I wish I had this for Easter. Perfect photography too! Thanks for the inspiration! Now following cuz I just love your blog! Roz

      Reply

    31. You have such gorgeous photos on your blog! I’m a fellow Camp Blogaway camper. I figured I’d calm my nerves by saying hello to everyone online before this weekend, though it just seems to be getting me more excited (hence the 1:45am comment!) I’m looking forward to meeting you 🙂

      ~Danni with LambAround

      Reply

    34. What a beautiful salad! We made it tonight and loved it. The mellow, creamy goat cheese, the nutty crunch of the almonds, and fresh bright strawberries were just perfect for a light spring meal. Thanks for the recipe!

      Reply

    35. hey dara …i love this salad…definitely going to make it. strawberry in salad sounds good to me ! thanks for stopping by….hope you make that mousse someday – its delicious !!
      – shruts

      Reply

    36. Just wondering if the dressing will turn black if I make it too far ahead of time. Fresh basil tends to do that. Any thoughts? I’d love to make it in the morning to take to a potluck after work.

      Reply

      • Hi Sheri, you’re right…fresh basil does have a tendency to do that. I’d be worried about pureeing it ahead of time. Alternatively, you could whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper, then minced some basil right before serving. It won’t be the same consistency, but should still work and give you that great basil flavor.

        Reply

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