Bursting with flavor, this Strawberry Arugula Salad with Creamy Strawberry Salad Dressing {Gluten-free, Low Carb, Low FODMAP, Paleo & Vegetarian/Vegan options} is super easy to make, and will satisfy all your healthy salad cravings!
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Raise your hand if you’re ready for spring!!!
Although I try REALLY hard not to complain about the weather, living in San Diego, it’s been a COLD, WET winter this year, and I am SO ready for Spring, sunshine, and STRAWBERRY season!
This Strawberry Arugula Salad with Creamy Strawberry Salad Dressing will satisfy all your strawberry cravings, plus it’s super easy to make, and, with options galore, sure to please everyone. Promise.
What’s to love about this Strawberry Arugula Salad w/ Creamy Strawberry Salad Dressing
- It Boosts Your Brain Health! Strawberries, arugula, chicken, and nuts are all part of a MIND Diet friendly meal plan, which has been shown to boost brain health, and may help reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s by up to 53%!
- It’s Low FODMAP & Belly Friendly. Not sure what a low FODMAP diet is? Learn more here–> Low FODMAP Diet 101
- It Keeps Your Energy Level Up, Up, Up! Well-balanced, with complex carbs and fiber, protein, and fat, this strawberry arugula salad makes a perfect one dish meal for lunch or dinner. It also helps keep your energy level up, and your blood sugar level stable, which = a happy mood!
- Cruciferous Veggies, Baby! Arugula is a cruciferous veggie which may help with cancer prevention, and strawberries, like other berries, may also provide protection against certain types of cancers as well.
- Mmm…Microgreens! Did you know they pack a nutritional punch, with nutrient levels up to 40 times higher than their mature counterparts? It’s true!
How to make strawberry salad dressing
This Creamy Strawberry Salad Dressing couldn’t be any easier to make! All you need is a blender. Then add extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, white balsamic vinegar (it enhances the sweetness), strawberries, salt, & pepper. Then blend away until the dressing is nice and creamy. That’s it! Fair warning: You may be tempted to lick the blender clean!
Easy recipe substitutions & serving suggestions
- Vegan: Omit chicken and goat cheese. Add cooked quinoa, beans, or tofu for extra protein if desired.
- Vegetarian: Omit chicken. Add cooked quinoa, beans, or tofu for extra protein if desired.
- Paleo: Omit goat cheese.
- Other options: Not a fan of strawberries? Try blueberries or raspberries instead, both on the salad and in place of the strawberry salad dressing. Not a fan of goat cheese? How about feta or grated Parmesan? Not an arugula fancier? How about spinach, kale, romaine, or watercress instead? Oh, and about those almonds…chopped walnuts, pine nuts, or sunflower seeds would be mighty tasty too!
- Serving suggestions: This Strawberry Arugula Salad with Strawberry Salad Dressing is a complete meal with a modest amount of complex carbs, lean protein, and healthy (mostly monounsaturated) fats. If you want to add extra carbohydrates, try it with my Best Ever Brazilian Cheese Rolls, or some whole grain gluten free crackers (lately I’ve been obsessed with the Trader Joe’s Gluten Free Norwegian Crispbread!)
Strawberry Arugula Salad w/ Strawberry Salad Dressing
Ingredients
Creamy Strawberry Lemon Vinaigrette
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
- 5 whole strawberries stems/tops removed
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ground black pepper to taste
Strawberry Arugula Salad
- 6 cups baby arugula or other salad greens
- 2 cups whole fresh strawberries stems/tops removed and sliced
- 3 tablespoons slivered almonds
- 1 cup micro greens optional, to garnish
- 2 ounces fresh goat cheese optional, crumbled
- 8 ounces cooked chicken breast optional, sliced
Instructions
- Prepare the salad dressing by combining the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, strawberries, salt and pepper in a blender, and blend on high until smooth. Set aside, or store in refrigerator until ready to use.
- To assembles the salads, place 3 cups each of arugula or other salad greens on two plates.
- Top with sliced strawberries and slivered almonds.
- Drizzle salad dressing on top.
- Add optional ingredients as desired: Micro greens, goat cheese, chicken.
Notes
Easy Ingredient Swaps:
- Vegan:Â Omit chicken and goat cheese. Add cooked quinoa, beans, or tofu for extra protein if desired.
- Vegetarian: Omit chicken. Add cooked quinoa, beans, or tofu for extra protein if desired.
- Paleo: Omit goat cheese.
- Other options: Not a fan of strawberries? Try blueberries or raspberries instead! Not a fan of goat cheese? How about feta or grated Parmesan? Not an arugula fancier? How about spinach, kale, romaine, or watercress instead? Oh, and about those almonds…chopped walnuts, pine nuts, or sunflower seeds would be mighty tasty too!
Serving Suggestions:
This Strawberry Arugula Salad is a complete meal with a modest amount of complex carbs, lean protein, and healthy (mostly monounsaturated) fats. If you want to add extra carbohydrates, try it with my Best Ever Brazilian Cheese Rolls, or some whole grain gluten free crackers (lately I’ve been obsessed with the Trader Joe’s Gluten Free Norwegian Crispbread!)Nutrition
MORE SPRINGTIME RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE!
Let’s chat!
Are you craving Spring weather too? Are you excited for strawberry season? What would you add, subtract, change about this strawberry arugula salad to make it your own???
Hi There! I’m EA, a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) in sunny San Diego. I create easy, DELICIOUS gluten free recipes & low FODMAP recipes for a wide variety of diets: anti-inflammatory, low carb, Mediterranean, paleo, vegan, vegetarian, & more. I offer nutrition coaching for wellness nutrition, digestive health (celiac disease, IBS, IBD, SIBO), autoimmune disease, & healthy aging. Learn more about my nutrition philosophy and my nutrition coaching services, sign up for my newsletter, or get in touch~I’d love to connect with you!
29 comments
The pics are so refreshing, now I’m hungry…. : ) Thanks again for providing great information about this unique salad & delicious foods and keep up the great work!
Appetizing way to represent it.
Simple healthy and lite Salad item, It’s really an amazing salad for dinner. Strawberry and cheese is a nice combination in salad so i’ll try this.
Thanks You so Much.
Okay I came looking for the avo wrap on IG and found this beauty- I’m not upset at all (well except the fact Min was out here moons ago and I didn’t get to meet her!!). It’s a great day b/c I have arugula and goat cheese in the fridge- this I can make happen! Thanks for the dinner inspo 🙂
Simple, healthy, delish! I love the addition of strawberry and almond. This is a salad I would happily eat for dinner…lots and lots of great flavors together. Keep sharing!
So fresh and beautiful, EA! That vinaigrette looks like liquid deliciousness 🙂
Liquid deliciousness? I love it!! Thanks Viviane! xoxo
This SO pretty, and the sweet dressing with the goat cheese has to amazing too, pinning!
Thanks so much Tessa! I hope you’re having a wonderful weekend!!
That Strawberry Vinaigrette looks AMAZING, EA!
~jules
Thanks Jules!! I think the strawberry vinaigrette would be yummy on just about anything 🙂
This is exactly the kind of salad I could eat every. single. day. Shared!!!!
Thanks so much Robin!!!
The salad looks amazing (pinned) and the pictures from your trip are gorgeous!
Thanks Heidi! Palm Springs is always such a fun getaway 🙂
Your salad looks amazing! I’m not able to tolerate cow dairy but I can have a little goats cheese now and again so this would work well for me 🙂
Thanks so much Sheena and YAY for “a little bit of goat’s cheese” 🙂 🙂
So glad you’re enjoying such a beautiful Spring! What a beautiful salad – I love that strawberry dressing – it sounds so good.
Thanks so much Jeanette! The dressing is delicious, and the strawberries add just the perfect touch of sweetness 🙂 Hope your spring is off to a fabulous start too!
Oh my goodness yes please! I actually have everything on hand to make this. Tomorrow’s lunch it is! Yummmm!!!! Pinning!!
Hi Krystal~Thanks so much for stopping by and for your comment! I hope you enjoy the salad as much as I do! Have a wonderful week!
Love the combo of arugula, strawberries, and goat cheese. I don’t mix dairy and meat, so I’ll be leaving off the chicken, but don’t think I’ll miss it in the least!
Oh, I don’t think you will miss it either Jessica! That’s the great thing about this salad-you can totally make it your own 🙂 Enjoy!!
SO gorgeous! Making this salad this week as I have beautiful strawberries right now 🙂 PS I’m dying over that silverware!
Thanks so much Anne! I’m trying to remember where I bought my silverware…I usually get extra pieces at World Market, but think I got these somewhere else. I’f I remember, I’ll let you know 🙂
A break is always good in my opinion. I adore salads and this has me drooling right now. So fun you got to hang out with Rebecca and Min!
Oh, yes! Breaks are the only thing that help me keep my sanity 🙂 It was lots of fun hanging out w/ Rebecca and Min. Just need to get you back out to So Cal to visit again too!
Yum!! This looks delicious. Pinning now!
Thanks so much Kim! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did 🙂 Have a wonderful week!