Strawberry Spinach Goat Cheese Salad

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A strawberry spinach goat cheese salad dressed with flavored olive oil and balsamic vinegar makes the perfect date night appetizer or side dish.

Springtime is officially here, which means fresh, light, and healthy recipes like this strawberry spinach goat cheese salad are finally on the menu!

This salad is the best appetizer or side dish for warm weather dining on the patio. A simple combination of spinach, strawberries, goat cheese, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar, it’s both sweet and tangy, crunchy and soft, and – overall – delicious.

A strawberry spinach goat cheese salad is an elegant and flavorful accompaniment to dinner parties and date nights at home. It doesn’t take long to throw together, and its unique ingredients make it much more exciting than a typical garden salad!

Strawberry Spinach Salad Ingredients

It only takes 5 ingredients to put together a simple and delicious strawberry spinach salad with goat cheese. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Baby spinach
• Fresh strawberries, sliced
• Goat cheese
• Flavored olive oil
• Flavored balsamic vinegar

You’ll want to make sure your spinach and strawberries are super fresh – make this salad within 2 days of buying these ingredients. A high-quality goat cheese will also make a difference in the flavor and texture of this salad! We recommend buying local whenever possible for the highest quality and best flavor.

The best dressing for a strawberry spinach salad with goat cheese is a simple combination of flavored olive oil and balsamic vinegar. We like using this mandarin orange olive oil with this vanilla bean balsamic, but any kind of fruit- or citrus-infused olive oil paired with a sweeter balsamic vinegar will taste amazing on this salad. Play around with your favorite flavored oils and vinegars each time you make this salad to find the best combination for your tastes!

How To Make A Strawberry Spinach Goat Cheese Salad

There are two ways to make a salad, depending on how many people you plan to serve. 

For feeding large crowds, you can add the ingredients to a salad bowl and toss to combine. You can add the olive oil and balsamic vinegar before tossing, or you can serve these salads with a variety of oils and vinegars on the table so that each person can customize their dressing.

If you plan to make just a few salads, we recommend plating them individually. Here’s how we like to make this spinach strawberry goat cheese salad with oil and balsamic:

1. Add a bed of spinach leaves to the plate, gently tearing any large leaves into smaller pieces.
2. Layer sliced strawberries on top of the spinach.
3. Crumble fresh goat cheese over the salad.
4. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and serve immediately.

Plating salads individually like this creates a delicate, layered effect. You’ll taste every ingredient in every bite, and each ingredient is preserved in its freshest state. The spinach leaves won’t be overdressed so they’ll retain some of their crunch, and the goat cheese will stay fluffy and light on top of the salad.

Serving Suggestions

We recommend serving this light and fresh salad as an appetizer or side dish during the spring and summer. It’s a delicious accompaniment to a healthy meal of grilled chicken and vegetables, or even a light pasta dish. And it will definitely impress your partner on a date night at home. The bright flavors of this strawberry spinach goat cheese salad also make it a great addition to an Easter brunch spread!

No matter how and when you choose to serve it, you can’t go wrong with a simple strawberry spinach & goat cheese salad. It’s refreshing, light, and summery, and super easy to throw together in just a few minutes. Try our recipe and let us know what you think by leaving a rating and a comment below!