An easy, beautiful strawberry feta salad to make all season long. What sets this salad apart is the vinaigrette — blended with fresh strawberries and balsamic for extra depth and a fruit-forward finish. Toss it with arugula and spinach, creamy feta, and crisp cucumber.

A fresh salad in a bowl featuring spinach, sliced strawberries, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, red onion, and crumbled feta cheese. Garnished with parsley, the salad is colorful and vibrant. A small bowl of cucumbers and another of strawberries are nearby.
Fresh strawberry salad with arugula, spinach, feta cheese, cucumber, and cherry tomatoes, tossed in a strawberry balsamic vinaigrette.

Note from Karen: This simple strawberry salad is a favorite with my readers, year after year. I’ve retested and updated this recipe — the dressing has a touch more honey, and I’ve tweaked the vegetable ratios so nothing overpowers the strawberries.

A strawberry spinach salad earns its reputation — when the proportions are right, you get sweet, savory, and bitter in the same forkful. The reason this version works so well is the dressing, which uses the strawberries twice: once in the salad, once blended into the vinaigrette. That’s what ties everything together.

Building blocks of a great strawberry salad

Assorted fresh salad ingredients including bowls of spinach, sliced strawberries, cherry tomatoes, cucumber slices, feta cheese, red onion, and a bowl of red dressing. A napkin and utensils are on the side.
  • Fresh strawberries: Use ripe, fragrant berries — ideally, you should be able to smell them before you even slice! I blend a portion of the berries into the dressing, which really deepens the flavor, and it’s a big reason this recipe gets so many rave reviews — it ties the whole salad together.
  • Arugula + spinach: To make this salad as vibrant as possible, I suggest tossing the salad with a 50/50 mixture of baby spinach and arugula greens — it’s the best of both worlds.
  • Cherry tomatoes: Maybe not the first ingredient that comes to mind to add to a strawberry salad, but their sweet-acid balance is similar to strawberries, which amplifies their flavor instead of competing with it.
  • Feta cheese: The salty tang of feta is key (and another summer classic, tomato panzanella salad.) I prefer using a block of Greek feta (it’s creamier and more flavorful than pre-crumbled), but soft goat cheese is a great swap if you want something milder.

How to make strawberry vinaigrette

  • A top-down view of a food processor workbowl containing strawberries, chopped onions, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar. Ingredients are colorful against a light countertop, with a sliced lemon and strawberries nearby.
    Puree fresh strawberries, shallot, honey, lemon juice, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I use regular balsamic here (not white). It brings a deeper, more resinous sweetness.
  • A food processor filled with blended strawberry vinaigrette sits on a light countertop. Nearby, a cutting board holds a halved lemon and fresh strawberries.
    Taste and season with more salt or honey to taste — the goal is a fruity dressing with a balance of sweet and tart.
  • A fresh salad with spinach, strawberries, cherry tomatoes, cucumber slices, red onion, and feta cheese is on a plate. Surrounding are bowls of sliced strawberries, cherry tomatoes, feta, and dressing. A pink napkin with cutlery is nearby.
    Tip: To keep the salad from wilting, assemble on a serving platter and chill 2-3 hours before drizzling with the salad dressing.
A fresh salad in a bowl featuring spinach, sliced strawberries, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, red onion, and crumbled feta cheese. Garnished with parsley, the salad is colorful and vibrant. A small bowl of cucumbers and another of strawberries are nearby.
5 from 88 ratings

Summer Strawberry Salad with Feta

Karen Tedesco
An easy, beautiful strawberry feta salad recipe to make all season long. Arugula greens, feta cheese, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, and strawberries are tossed in a naturally-sweet vinaigrette made with a puree of fresh strawberries and balsamic vinegar.
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Yield: 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients
 

Strawberry Balsamic Dressing

  • ½ cup (450 g) fresh sliced strawberries
  • ¼ cup (60 ml) extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons (45 ml) balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon chopped shallot
  • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) honey, or maple syrup
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Strawberry Salad

  • 8-10 ounces arugula or spinach greens, or a 50/50 mixture
  • ½ cup Italian parsley leaves (tender stems are okay) or basil leaves
  • 1 cup sliced cucumber, English seedless or Persian cucumber preferred
  • 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
  • ¼ cup sliced red onion
  • ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 3 cups sliced fresh strawberries

Instructions
 

Make the dressing

  1. Combine ½ cup fresh sliced strawberrieswith ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon chopped shallot, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 1 tablespoon honey, ½ teaspoon salt and black pepper in a blender or small food processor until the dressing is smooth and creamy.

Make the salad

  1. Put 8-10 ounces arugula or spinach greens in a large salad bowl or a large serving platter. Add ½ cup Italian parsley leaves (tender stems are okay) or basil leaves, 1 cup sliced cucumber, 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes, ¼ cup sliced red onion and ½ cup crumbled feta cheese. Put 3 cups sliced fresh strawberries on top. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons of the dressing and gently toss the salad together. Serve the salad with additional dressing on the side.

Notes

  • 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 your serving bowl and cover with a clean damp towel. It will keep up 6 hours in the refrigerator.
  • Add some crunch to the salad with a handful of toasted chopped nuts, such as walnuts, almonds or pecans.
Note: I re-tested and slightly revised this recipe, adding a bit more honey to the salad dressing and adjusted the amounts of the vegetables.

Nutrition per serving

Calories: 245kcal Carbohydrates: 23g Protein: 7g Fat: 16g Sodium: 538mg Fiber: 5g Sugar: 14g

Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.

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