Summer Strawberry Salad with Feta

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An easy, beautiful strawberry feta salad recipe to make all summer long. Arugula greens, feta cheese, cucumber, cherry tomatoes and strawberries in a naturally-sweet vinaigrette blended with fresh strawberries and balsamic vinegar.

This simple summer salad is the hands-down winner of the Ms. Potluck Popularity contest, especially when warm weather comes around. It’s my version of everyone’s favorite salad recipe: the classic strawberry spinach salad.

One of my all-time favorite salad recipes, this one features sweet strawberries, juicy cherry tomatoes and a tangy feta vinaigrette. Serve this fresh strawberry salad as part of a summer buffet, or as a starter to an outdoor meal.

Add those to a bed of leafy greens (arugula and/or spinach) and you get creamy feta cheese, tangy tomato and crisp cucumber in every bite.

Strawberry salad is a crowdpleaser for sure — it checks off so many boxes health-wise and flavor-wise.

I think it’s because a good strawberry salad is refreshingly sweet, savory, crunchy and nutritious, all at once.

Plus it looks so gorgeous on the table! If you’re looking for a low-fuss summer salad that’s way above the ordinary, I highly recommend you try this.

Salad ingredients:

• Arugula greens or a 50/50 mixture of baby spinach and arugula
• Fresh strawberries: Grab juicy red strawberries when they’re in season in late spring and summer for the BEST salad.
• Cherry tomatoes: Use ripe, sweet tomatoes to complement the berries.
• Italian parsley: I like to add the leaves and tender stems to add a fresh herbal flavor to the salad. Fresh basil would work too!
• Red onion: For a less sharp taste, soak the slices in cold water for 10 minutes and drain.
• Seedless cucumber or Persian cucumber: cool, crisp and refreshing.
• Feta cheese: The salty tang of feta cheese is so good in summer fruit salads. Instead, a soft goat cheese or creamy mild blue cheese like Danish blue would be delicious!
• Balsamic vinegar
• Honey: Optional, but it adds a touch of sweetness to counterpoint the vinegar.

Strawberry vinaigrette

My dressing is a balsamic vinaigrette, with a magical base of pureed fresh strawberries and balsamic vinegar.

Those two ingredients are the key. They each contribute their own natural sweetness — you end up with a nicely balanced salad dressing that tastes tangy-sweet.

Blending the same type of fruit I use in a salad right into the dressing really doubles down on the flavor!

Tips:

• If you have a blender or small food processor you can whip up the dressing in seconds, or simply whisk it together
• Make the dressing up to 5 days ahead and keep in a covered container (a glass jar is perfect) in the refrigerator. Give it a shake to blend before dressing the salad.
• For the best texture, dress the salad shortly before serving so it doesn’t wilt the greens.
• To make ahead for a party or picnic, you can assemble the undressed salad in a large bowl and cover with a clean damp towel. It will keep up 6 hours in the refrigerator.
• If you like, add some crunch to the salad with toasted chopped nuts, such as walnuts, almonds or pecans.