Strawberry Arugula Salad: So Refreshing!

This Strawberry Arugula Salad allows you to replace all the ingredients except the strawberries & the secret ingredient, of course! It makes a great side salad for any main meal. 

This summer strawberry salad takes all of 10 minutes to prepare.

It’s perfect for a refreshing light dinner when combined with grilled chicken.

It is equally appropriate for an entree.

I call this a recipe, but seriously, you can easily eyeball all of the ingredients.

Naturally sweet, and the aroma of the strawberries is just intoxicating!

Ingredients

As usual, the printable recipe card, found at the bottom of the page, has the specific amounts for each ingredient.

• Arugula. Peppery and fresh tasting.
• Strawberries. Locally grown if possible.
• Pine nuts. Toasted. Can easily be replaced almond slivers, walnuts or even pecans.
• Balsamic Vinaigrette. The addition of the secret ingredient, mint, makes all the difference in this dressing.

Instructions

There are two parts to this recipe, the salad and the vinaigrette.

Let’s begin by toasting the pine nuts since they need to be at room temperature before they can be added to the rest of the salad.

Simply place the pine nuts (1 tablespoon) in a nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Shake the pan a few times and within 5 minutes, your pine nuts should be nice and toasty. It really does not take very long. Transfer to a bowl in order for them to cool off quickly.

Next, rinse and spin dry the arugula (2 cups). Arrange on a large shallow plate. Set it aside while we prepare the strawberries.

You will need about 1 cup of strawberries. Rinse properly and remove the stem. Slice or quarter and place over the arugula.

Sprinkle the pine nuts over the top of the salad.

The only thing left to assemble is the balsamic vinaigrette. In a bowl whisk together extra virgin olive oil (2 tablespoons), balsamic vinegar (2 tablespoons), honey (1 teaspoon), Dijon mustard (¼ teaspoon), minced fresh mint (1 teaspoon), garlic powder (¼ teaspoon) and of course salt and pepper to taste.

Alternately, combine the ingredients in a mason jar and shake vigorously. 

When ready to serve, drizzle dressing over salad and toss gently together. 

Tips

• A salad spinner is great in removing all the moisture from the arugula.
• Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad just before serving it.
• Pine nuts can easily be replaced by almond slivers, walnuts, pecans or even sunflower seeds.

Can I replace the arugula? 

Yes, feel free to substitute with spinach or just field greens.

Craving more arugula salad recipes?

If you like the pungent flavor of arugula, be sure to try this pear salad or this cherry tomato salad. You are going to love the combination of flavors! 

Recipe origins

A few years ago, a friend of mine, Diane, had a pot-luck supper. One of the salads served was a strawberry and spinach salad.

Since I love arugula and I have it growing in my backyard, I replaced the spinach with peppery arugula.

The bitterness of the arugula and the sweetness of the strawberries contrast beautifully and throwing in some refreshing mint complete the dish.

As soon as Quebec strawberries hit the markets, this becomes my go-to salad.

It’s as simple as that.

There really is nothing more to say, except that I hope you enjoy this easy strawberry salad recipe as much as I do!

THANKS SO MUCH for following and being part of the She Loves Biscotti community where you will find Simple & Tasty Family-Friendly Recipes with an Italian Twist.

Ciao for now,

Maria

★★★★★ If you make this arugula and strawberry salad, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!

Recipe

Strawberry Arugula Salad

Easy Strawberry Arugula Salad allows you with the flexibility of replacing all the ingredients, except the strawberries & the secret ingredient, of course!

5 from 4 votes

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Course: Salad

Cuisine: Canadian Italian

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 2 servings

Calories: 211kcal

Author: Maria Vannelli RD

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Ingredients

Vinaigrette:

• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon honey
• ¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh mint
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Salad:

• 2 cups arugula rinsed and spun dry
• 1 cup strawberries sliced or quartered
• 1 tablespoon toasted pine nuts or slivered almonds, walnuts, or pecans

Instructions

• In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients for the vinaigrette.
• Set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine arugula, sliced strawberries and pine nuts.
• Pour dressing over salad and toss gently.
• Serve immediately.

Scroll UP for the STEP by STEP PhotosDon't miss the process shots and videos included in most posts. Simply scroll up the post to find them. Those were created especially for you so that you can make the recipe perfectly every single time you try it.

Notes

A step by step photo tutorial can be found in the text. Simply scroll up to find it.

• A salad spinner is great in removing all the moisture from the arugula.
• Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad just before serving it.

Can I replace the arugula? Yes, feel free to substitute with spinach or just field greens.

Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided below is just a rough estimate and variations can occur depending on the specific ingredients used. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 211kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 17mg | Potassium: 231mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 475IU | Vitamin C: 45.3mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 1mg

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This post was originally published on July 5, 2015 and republished on July 13, 2019 with updated content and photos. Thanks for sharing!