Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette is the spring salad you’ve been searching for! It makes a great addition to a brunch spread or holiday meal.

salad with strawberries, goat cheese and sliced almonds in a bowl

Spring is so close I can taste it you guys.

Clearly this has spurred a moment with strawberries (see here, here and here) because I seem to be using them in just about everything lately. I promise that I eat other fruit sometimes!

Back to this recipe: it’s a super simple fresh and seasonal salad that will go over well with any crowd. It has everything a salad should including crisp leafy greens, seasonal fruit, creamy cheese, toasted nuts and a tangy homemade dressing. It leaves people asking, “what exactly was in that?” I’m all about contrast with my salads and this one covers all the bases.

As a side note, I somehow developed a reputation as the resident salad-contributor for a lot of social events. Maybe because I’m a dietitian but also because I just really love coming up with different combinations.

Tips for Non-Boring Salads

Most people think the salad is the boring, obligatory part of a meal but I like to think of it as the perfect compliment. With a salad this good, the greens can absolutely be a favorite. Anyone else agree?

I started with the traditional components of a strawberry salad, but made it slightly more gourmet with toasted nuts and a dressing that really pops. Both simple steps (albeit 10 minutes more time-consuming), so you can impress without learning any complicated new techniques or having to search for out-of-the-box ingredients.

And while you can certainly add the almonds without toasting, take my advice and do not skip this step. It seriously amplifies the flavor (here’s why you should always toast your nuts). Similarly, adding fresh-squeezed orange juice isn’t totally necessary but a fun addition and convenient if you don’t normally buy juice.

In summary, here are my tips for making a non-boring salad:

Switch up the greens. Instead of plain old leaf lettuce, branch out with peppery arugula, baby spinach or shredded kale.
Add fresh fruit! Berries work really well, but other ideas include orange segments, thinly sliced apple or peaches.
Try a flavorful cheese like goat, feta or bleu. A little goes a long way and I love the salty, creamy factor.
Add nuts for crunch (bonus if you have time to toast!) or try homemade croutons with leftover stale bread or even corn bread.
Think outside the box with non-traditional items like olives, roasted red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes and dried fruit.
Use a homemade dressing. More on this below!

How-to Make a Homemade Dressing

Let’s talk about this orange champagne vinaigrette for sec. Sounds fancy, but really it’s not.

If you’ve been following along with me for any amount of time, you know that I’m a huge proponent of going homemade with salad dressings. Not in a pretentious “I make everything from scratch” sort of way, but because it’s easy, 100x more flavorful and you likely have all of the ingredients you need on hand anyway.

Need inspiration? Grab my free download: 5 Simple Salad Dressings

For this salad I used a combination of fresh-squeezed orange juice and champagne vinegar to add some acidity and contrast to the rest of the ingredients. Here’s everything you need:

Champagne vinegar
Orange
Honey
Dijon mustard
Extra-virgin olive oil

I love using a mason jar for salad dressings for easy shaking, storing and washing. Add everything but the oil and mix well with a fork first (to make sure the honey and dijon are well-incorporated). Then add the oil, top with the lid and shake really well. Done!

Note: if you don’t want to buy the champagne vinegar, a basic balsamic or red wine vinegar will work just fine here.

So there you have it. If you’re the resident “salad maker” of your social circles too, give this one a try at your next special occasion. It’s simple but perfect!