Description

A vibrant and refreshing summer salad featuring sweet strawberries, creamy goat cheese, buttery avocado, and crunchy sugared almonds and pistachios, all tossed with a light and tangy champagne vinaigrette. Perfect as a light lunch or elegant dinner starter.

Ingredients

For the Salad:

⅔ cup sliced or slivered almonds

3 tablespoons sugar

10 ounces arugula greens

8 ounces strawberries, hulled and quartered

1 avocado, chopped

2 ounces crumbled goat cheese

⅓ cup roasted salted pistachios, chopped

For the Champagne Vinaigrette:

3 tablespoons champagne vinegar

½ lemon, juiced

2 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 garlic clove, freshly grated

Pinch of kosher salt and pepper

½ cup olive oil

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Instructions

Place almonds and sugar in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Stir constantly for 6–8 minutes until sugar melts and coats the almonds. Transfer to parchment paper to cool.
In a large bowl, toss arugula with a pinch of salt and pepper. Layer in strawberries, avocado, goat cheese, pistachios, and caramelized almonds.
Whisk champagne vinegar, lemon juice, honey, Dijon mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper. Slowly stream in olive oil while whisking until emulsified.
Drizzle vinaigrette over the salad just before serving and toss gently.

Notes

Swap arugula with spinach or spring mix if preferred.
Use feta or dairy-free cheese as an alternative to goat cheese.
Add grilled chicken, shrimp, or chickpeas for a protein boost.
Use white wine or rice vinegar if champagne vinegar is unavailable.
Store dressing separately to keep salad fresh if making ahead.

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Category: Salad
Method: Tossing
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 salad
Calories: 370
Sugar: 10g
Sodium: 220mg
Fat: 30g
Saturated Fat: 6g
Unsaturated Fat: 22g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 20g
Fiber: 5g
Protein: 7g
Cholesterol: 10mg