Summer Strawberry Salad with Feta
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An easy, beautiful strawberry feta salad recipe to make all season long. Spinach, 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.
This simple strawberry salad is a favorite with my readers, year after year. I’ve updated this page with new photography and re-tested the recipe. I tweaked the seasonings in the dressing every so slightly to balance the sweetness and acidity, and adjusted the measurements of the vegetables. ~Karen
A classic strawberry spinach salad is a crowd pleaser for sure, the hands-down winner of the Ms. Potluck Popularity contest — it checks off so many boxes. I think it’s because when it’s made with a thoughtful distribution of ingredients, a strawberry salad is refreshingly sweet, savory, and crisp, all at once.
This exceptional strawberry salad is topped with a special vinaigrette made with pureed strawberries and balsamic vinegar. Plate the salad on a bed of arugula and spinach, creamy feta cheese and crisp cucumber for a perfect summer salad.
Notes on salad ingredients:
- 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!
- Fresh strawberries: Strawberries are at their best in late spring and summer, which is why this is such a good seasonal salad. They’re also blended into the salad dressing to double-down on their sweet-tangy flavor.
- Cherry tomatoes: Maybe not the first ingredient that comes to mind to complement strawberries, but trust me, because they each taste sweet and tart, their fruitiness is amplified.
- Italian parsley: I like to add the picked leaves and tender stems to add a fresh herbal flavor to just about any salad. Fresh basil would work too!
- Red onion: You don’t need much, but thinly sliced red onions add a savory note. To reduce its sharp bite, you can soak the slices in cold water for 10 minutes.
- Seedless cucumber or Persian cucumbers are my pick. They’re less watery than standard cucumbers, which ensures this salad is nice and perky.
- Feta cheese: The salty tang of feta cheese is so good in summer fruit salads (and another summer classic, tomato panzanella salad.) You can switch it out with a soft goat cheese.
Recipe overview
Make strawberry vinaigrette: Puree fresh strawberries, shallot, honey, lemon juice, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Taste and season with more salt or honey to taste — the goal is a fruity dressing with a balance of sweet and tart. Tip: To keep the salad from wilting, assemble on a serving platter and chill 2-3 hours before drizzling with the salad dressing.
Summer Strawberry Salad with Feta
Ingredients
- 1 pound (450 g) strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 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
- 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 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- ¼ cup sliced red onion
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
Make the dressing
- Combine ½ cup of the sliced strawberries with 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
- Put the arugula and spinach in a large salad bowl or a large serving platter. Top with the remaining strawberries, parsley leaves, 1 cup sliced cucumber, sliced cherry tomatoes, ¼ cup sliced red onion and ½ cup crumbled feta cheese. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons of the dressing and toss together gently. Serve the salad with additional dressing on the side.
Karen’s Notes and Tips
- 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.
- 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.
- Add some crunch to the salad with a handful of toasted chopped nuts, such as walnuts, almonds or pecans.
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.
Hey, I’m Karen
Creator of Familystyle Food
I’m a food obsessed super-taster and professionally trained cook ALL about creating elevated dinners with everyday ingredients. Find simplified recipes made from scratch and enjoy incredibly tasty food! Read more about me here.
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Great recipe! I Wil definitely make it again!
Absolutely delicious but I prefer spring mix
Spring mix is a great option!
MERCY this dressing!! Used honey that I get from a nearby apiary. Was out of lemons, but still had some limes so I thought I’d used that instead. Great zing. What a great dressing!
So happy you enjoyed it! Local honey is the BEST!
MERCY this dressing!! Used honey that I get from a nearby apiary. Was out of lemons, but still had some limes so I thought I’d used that instead. Great zing. What a great dressing!
Excellent! I’m making it again. I quadrupled the recipe but had twice as much dressing as I needed. I’ll make less dressing next time.
Thanks for letting us know! The dressing keeps up to 5 days in the fridge if that helps.
Hi Karen,
I can only see six of the 10 most favorite recipes. What are the last four? Thanks.
Hi Diana, I’m not sure which list of 10 Most Favorite Recipe you’re referring to on this recipe page. Was it a video?
Lovely harmonious salad not ruled by just balsamic…glad I had it at home so didn’t have to pay a restaurant price for it…
five stars
Amazing!!!!
Will the recipe for the dressing still work, minus the shallots? Allergic.
Yes, of course. Just leave them out.
Always love it when my potluck dish is the first gone. I added crumbled bacon, avocado, and candied pecans. Everyone loved the dressing!
I can’t wait to try this recipe, Karen! I actually have all the ingredients on hand for a change. Love your photography, you always manage to make everything look mouth-watering!
Congrats on your book, well deserved!
Taina thank you so much! I hope you enjoy xx
Such a good use of strawberries! Easy and delicious!
Looks so delicious need to make this ASAP!