Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad with Maple Dijon Balsamic Vinaigrette

A strawberry goat cheese salad with spinach and arugula and a maple Dijon vinaigrette that everyone underestimates for about ten seconds until they take their first bite. This salad doesn’t need anything else, but you’ll probably keep adding it to your plate anyway.

Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad (and Everything That Came With It)

I spent years being trained to become a debutante, which sounds so silly when I say it now, but at the time it meant years of social etiquette classes where I sat in rooms learning how to exist properly, how to walk, sit, hold a fork, and somehow, over and over again, how to eat a strawberry spinach salad because it was considered a socially acceptable salad to serve to guests. Mostly, it was trendy at the time.

There were entire sessions created around posture, and I’m not exaggerating, we walked with books on our heads while someone followed behind adjusting our shoulders if they thought we were even slightly off. And to be fair it worked because I can still walk in four and five inch heels without thinking about it, which is probably the only useful thing I took from any of it. However, I remember thinking the whole time that if one more person touched my back I was going to drop the book on purpose just to watch it hit the floor and break whatever illusion we were all pretending to maintain.

And then we would sit down and eat.

It was always some version of the same salad, strawberries and spinach arranged like they had rules, and apparently they did, because everything depended on who was in the room, whether it was daytime or evening, whether men would be present, and I remember one of them saying, very matter-of-factly, that if it was just ladies at lunch you kept it light, absolutely no protein (diet culture already slipping into young girls’ minds), but if men were there, you should make it more substantial, like the whole thing needed to suddenly shift.

We had been eating that same salad often enough, and by that point, it no longer tasted like anything, just something you moved around on a plate while proving you understood the assignment in the way they wanted.

And then one day goat cheese showed up, and the entire tone of the room changed like we had just crossed into something more advanced, and these women started talking about goat cheese like it had just arrived on earth, like this was the moment where things became elevated, and I looked down at it thinking, wait, because I had already been eating goat cheese for years, not in rooms like this, in France, on real tables where no one explained it to me like I needed permission to understand it.

So I raised my hand, which was already stepping out of formation, and said, I mean, this isn’t new, and I could feel the room almost swallow me enough to know I had crossed the invisible don’t-question-anything-here line, and at that point if felt like a dare to add another knife-twist, because I was already in it, they’ve been serving this forever, which did not help.

The “charm marms” as I often referred to them in my head didn’t like that at all, and it wasn’t about the cheese, it was about the fact that I wasn’t staying inside the version of things they were trying to create in that room, because those classes weren’t random, they had a destination, and that destination was me being presented at sixteen to society, in a grand ball at a hotel in Santa Monica. Ick. And when the time did come, I refused, completely, which went over about as well as expected with my mother, but there was no version of that life that made sense to me even then.

In fact, the arguments about the whole deb ball debacle went on for months and at one point I can still see my high school boyfriend standing there in his football uniform during one these rounds and finally realizing and saying, like wait, you’re being presented to society… what about me, like that was the moment it finally registered for him, and I could see it on his face, which honestly felt like the most reasonable response in the entire situation. I can still see the look my mother shot him in that moment, like, yeah, you’re temporary, keep up. I mean, that makes me feel a little tender-hearted for him right now. He finally understood it all in that moment.

Now I make this strawberry goat cheese salad with all the things. Mixed baby greens, sliced strawberries, avocado, toasted pecans, shallot, and mint, and a maple Dijon balsamic vinaigrette that coats everything instead of disappearing, and the goat cheese is just goat cheese, not a revelation, not an elevated ingredient, just part of the assembly, and the whole thing is good because it’s allowed to, not because someone decided what it was supposed to mean.

It’s the same salad. I just don’t need anyone explaining it to me anymore. I already knew.

What It’s Like to Eat

• It’s light, but you’re not immediately thinking about what else you need next.
• There’s enough contrast that it doesn’t get boring after a few bites.
• You get soft, creamy, crisp, and some crunch, and none of it takes over.
• The goat cheese stays in pieces. Once it disappears, it’s not the same salad.
• The dressing stays where it’s poured. It doesn’t collect at the bottom or vanish halfway through.
• It holds longer than you expect before anything starts to slip. You can leave it as a side or add salmon or grilled chicken to make it a full meal.

Ingredients

• Baby greens (spinach + arugula) – On its own, each one is lacking. Together they keep things interesting.
• Strawberries – This is not where you use the sad ones from the back of the fridge.
• Avocado – There’s a very specific moment when an avocado is right. If you miss it, that’s on you.
• Goat cheese – Straight from the fridge so it stays in pieces. Let it warm up and it starts getting ideas.
• Pecans – Toast them until they smell like something. Otherwise they’re filler.
• Shallot – Keep it small, thin, and under control.
• Fresh mint – Optional until it’s there, and then suddenly not.
• Olive oil – If you wouldn’t taste it on its own, don’t put it here.
• Balsamic vinegar – Dark, a little deep, keeps everything from getting too comfortable.
• Dijon mustard – This is what keeps the dressing from separating.
• Maple syrup or honey – Just enough to keep it from going its own way.
• Salt and black pepper – Enough to make you keep eating it.

If you want something more fruit-forward, I have a strawberry spinach salad with strawberry vinaigrette that is sweeter and uses the berries differently.

How to Make Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad

Find the complete printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the BOTTOM OF THE POST.

• Step One (make the vinaigrette)
  Whisk the olive oil, balsamic, Dijon, maple syrup (or honey), salt, and pepper together until it comes together and stays that way, or just throw it in a jar and shake it until it does. You’re not looking for something that runs off immediately. It should hang on to the sides for a second.
• Step Two (make the base)
  Add the spinach and arugula to a wide bowl or platter, then scatter the strawberries and avocado over the top so nothing’s clumped together and every bite has a chance.
• Step Three (add the rest)
  Toast the pecans until they smell like something, not just warm, and keep the goat cheese cold if you want it to stay in pieces or let it sit for a minute if you want it softer once it’s in. Tear the goat cheese into pieces and drop it over everything, then add the pecans, shallot, and mint so it’s all spread out and not sitting in one spot like it got left there.
• Step Four (dress it)
  Start with about half the dressing and toss it gently, just enough to coat the leaves without smashing the avocado or crushing everything else, then add more if it needs it.
• Step Five (timing matters)
  This salad is best right when you make it. If you’re getting ahead, keep everything separate and bring it together at the last minute. Cut the avocado right before or give it a little lemon to keep it green.

Recipe Tips

• Start with less dressing than you think. You can add more. You can’t take it back.
• Dress it right before serving. Give it too much time and everything starts to give.
• Keep everything in a single layer when you make it. Piling it up doesn’t make it better, it just hides what’s going on. I can still hear the charm marms saying, “presentation is everything.” They’re weren’t wrong.
• Toast the pecans until you can smell them from across the room. Otherwise they’re just taking up space.
• Add the avocado last. There’s a point where it’s right and then it’s not. It doesn’t wait for you.
• Keep the goat cheese cold if you want it to stay in place. Once it softens, it goes wherever it wants.
• Don’t overwork it when you toss. The more you push it around, the less it holds together.
• Use strawberries that taste good. This isn’t where you try to fix them.
• If something feels off, it usually is. Adjust it then, not after it’s already gone too far.
• Not everything needs more to be better. Sometimes it just needs to be left alone.

Storage

• This is better fresh. It holds for a bit, but not indefinitely. You’ll feel when it starts to slip.
• If you’re saving it, keep everything separate. Once it’s dressed, it’s on the clock.
• The dressing will keep in the fridge for a few days. Shake it before using. It will separate. That’s normal.
• Slice the avocado right before serving, or give it a little lemon if you’re doing it ahead.
• If it’s already dressed, you can refrigerate it, but it won’t come back the same. It’s still edible, just… different.
• This isn’t one of those things that improves by sitting. It’s better when you meet it where it is.

FAQs

• Can I use a different cheese?
  You can, but it changes the whole thing. Goat cheese does something specific here. Sub it and you’ll notice. Having said that, feta is the most friendly swap.
• What greens work best?
  Spinach and arugula. One soft, one with a little peppery bite. You can change it, just know it won’t feel the same.
• Can I make this ahead of time?
  You can prep everything, but don’t put it together until the last minute. Once it’s dressed, it starts moving.
• What protein works with this?
  Grilled chicken, salmon, shrimp, whatever you like. Add it if you want, leave it if you don’t.
• Can I use store-bought dressing?
  That’s up to you.
• How do I keep the avocado from browning?
  Cut it right before serving, or give it a little lemon sprinkle. After that, it’s doing what it’s going to do.

From My Kitchen Notes

None of this is recipe advice. It’s just the stuff I think about later.

• There’s a version of a plate that gets assembled for the room, and a version that gets assembled for yourself. They never look the same.
• “Absolutely no protein” for women was said with a straight face, which still makes me a little angry.
• There are situations where you already know you’re not staying, even while you’re still sitting there.
• If something only works when no one questions it, it probably doesn’t work.
• There’s a difference between adding something in a recipe because it belongs and adding something because you think it completes the picture.
• Timing changes everything. Some ingredients hold together if you meet them when they’re ready. Some don’t come back once you’ve passed that point.
• I can still feel when a chair moves too much when someone sits down, which is not a skill I have ever needed in my real life. They made it seem so important.
• There’s a very specific tone people use when they’ve decided something is correct and don’t want it questioned. I loved introducing the cracks in their thinking.
• Food still doesn’t need an audience to decide what it’s allowed to be.
• There’s a difference between being taught something and agreeing with it.
• I have never once adjusted what I was eating based on who else was at the table, and I’m still not sure what that was supposed to accomplish.
• There are people who will nod along to things they don’t believe just to keep the room smooth. I’ve never been that person.
• Social etiquette classes made me realize I was not learning how to do something. I was learning how to be seen doing it.
• There’s always a moment where you could step in or stay quiet, and once you see it, it doesn’t really go away.
• You don’t need permission to recognize something.
• You can leave a room without standing up. And not everything needs to be agreed on to be understood.
• There are things you don’t respond to right away, not because you didn’t feel them, but because you did.
• Some things take longer than they should, and by the time they move, everything around them has already changed.
• I don’t correct people anymore. I just notice. And then sometimes I don’t.
• Some people need to be told what something is before they can recognize it. I’ve never had that problem.

Switch the Dressing, See What Happens

• Raspberry Vinaigrette – sweet, tart, berry-forward.
• Honey Champagne Vinaigrette – honey, Dijon, light acidity.
• White Balsamic Vinaigrette – mild, tangy, slightly sweet.
• Honey Dijon Vinaigrette – honey, Dijon, red wine vinegar.

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This strawberry goat cheese salad is great as a spring or summer side or a full plate depending on how you serve it. Keep it simple or add grilled chicken or salmon. The full ingredient list and steps are right below.

Print Recipe

5 from 6 votes

Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad with Maple Dijon Balsamic Vinaigrette

Strawberry goat cheese salad with spinach, arugula, avocado, and toasted pecans tossed in a maple Dijon balsamic vinaigrette. This strawberry spinach goat cheese salad works as an easy spring or summer salad and can be served as a side or topped with chicken or salmon for a full meal.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time5 minutes mins

Total Time20 minutes mins

Course: Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: balsamic vinaigrette salad, spring salad recipe, strawberry arugula goat cheese salad, strawberry goat cheese salad, strawberry pecan salad, strawberry salad with goat cheese, strawberry spinach goat cheese salad, Summer Salad

Servings: 6

Calories: 320kcal

Author: Cathy Pollak

Equipment

• mixing bowls (medium and large) For whisking the vinaigrette and assembling the salad.
• whisk Helps emulsify the dressing.
• skillet For toasting the pecans.

Ingredients

Maple Dijon Balsamic Vinaigrette:

• ¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil
• 2 tbsps (30 ml) balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsps (10 g) Dijon mustard
• 1½ tbsps (32 g) maple syrup or honey
• ½ tsp (3 g) sea salt
• ¼ tsp (1 g) black pepper

Salad:

• ½ cup (60 g) pecans toasted
• 6 cups (180 g) baby spinach and arugula mix
• 12 oz (340 g) strawberries sliced into coins
• 2 avocados sliced
• 4 oz (115 g) soft goat cheese
• 1 small shallot thinly sliced
• fresh mint leaves small handful

Instructions

• In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, maple syrup (or honey), salt, and black pepper until fully combined, emulsified, and slightly thickened. Alternatively, combine the ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake until smooth.
  ¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil, 2 tbsps (30 ml) balsamic vinegar, 2 tsps (10 g) Dijon mustard, 1½ tbsps (32 g) maple syrup, ½ tsp (3 g) sea salt, ¼ tsp (1 g) black pepper
• Toast the pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and lightly browned, then set aside and cool before adding to the salad.
  ½ cup (60 g) pecans
• Place the baby greens (a mix of spinach and arugula) in a large, wide serving bowl or arrange them on a platter. Scatter the sliced strawberries and avocado evenly over the greens.
  6 cups (180 g) baby spinach and arugula mix, 12 oz (340 g) strawberries, 2 avocados
• Crumble or tear the goat cheese into bite-sized pieces and distribute it across the salad. Add the toasted pecans, thinly sliced shallot, and fresh mint leaves.
  4 oz (115 g) soft goat cheese, 1 small shallot, fresh mint leaves
• Drizzle about half of the vinaigrette over the salad and gently toss to coat, taking care not to bruise the greens or break up the avocado. Add additional vinaigrette as needed until the salad is lightly coated but not overdressed.
• For the best texture and flavor, assemble the salad immediately before serving. If preparing ahead, store the vinaigrette, sliced ingredients, and greens separately and combine just before serving. To prevent browning, lightly brush the cut avocado with lemon juice if slicing in advance.
• Cold goat cheese is easier to crumble cleanly, while room temperature cheese will be softer and creamier once mixed into the greens.

Notes

• Use a mix of baby spinach and arugula for a balance of mild and peppery greens.
• Toasting pecans improves flavor and texture.
• Start with less dressing and add more as needed.
• Assemble just before serving for best texture.

 

 

If you’re making this Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad, check out the full post. That’s where I keep extra tips, FAQs, and details that don’t always make it into the recipe card

 

Nutrition info is an estimate and will vary depending on the brands you use.

 

©Noble Pig. All content and photos are copyright protected. Sharing the recipe link is always appreciated, but copying and pasting the full recipe anywhere else isn’t allowed.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad with Maple Dijon Balsamic Vinaigrette

Amount Per Serving (300 g)

Calories 320 Calories from Fat 234

% Daily Value*

Fat 26g40%

Saturated Fat 6g38%

Polyunsaturated Fat 4g

Monounsaturated Fat 14g

Cholesterol 15mg5%

Sodium 320mg14%

Potassium 520mg15%

Carbohydrates 18g6%

Fiber 5g21%

Sugar 11g12%

Protein 7g14%

Vitamin A 3500IU70%

Vitamin C 35mg42%

Calcium 100mg10%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Have you made this Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad? I’d love to hear how it turned out – leave a comment below and let me know.

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