Name: Balsamic Salad with Strawberries
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 Recipe Caramelized Pecans; 1 small head romaine lettuce (chopped); 1 lb. strawberries (hulled and sliced); 5 oz. bag spinach; 1 pear (thinly sliced and halved or chopped); 1 cucumber (chopped); red bell pepper (chopped); 1/4 large red onion (thinly sliced); 1 package ramen noodles (crushed, flavor packet discarded); 1/3 cup roasted salted sunflower seeds; 4 oz goat cheese crumbles; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 cup strawberries (hulled); 1/2 cup aged balsamic vinegar; 1 tablespoons sugar; 1/2 tablespoon Dijon; 1/2 tablespoon dried minced onions; 1 clove garlic (peeled); 1/2 TSP EACH paprika, salt; 1/4 TSP EACH dried thyme, pepper; 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil; 1 tablespoon poppy seeds

This Strawberry Salad has readers raving: “I made this Strawberry Salad for Easter and it was the hit of the meal! Everyone loved it so much- especially the dressing!”

Developed by a flavor expert known for crafting layered, restaurant-quality recipes, this Strawberry Spinach Salad is anything but ordinary—bursting with fresh, vibrant textures and flavors, and made unforgettable by the homemade Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette (read the post to see why it’s a game-changer!). You’ll find expert tips, creative variations, and everything you need to confidently serve a salad that’s as stunning as it is delicious.

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side shot of Strawberry Spinach Salad with balsamic dressing, strawberries, cucumbers and toasted ramen

Why you’ll love this Spinach Strawberry Salad

This recipe is crafted with thoughtful, restaurant-quality ingredients and techniques that deliver real depth of flavor. Here’s why you’ll love it:

Unforgettable vinaigrette: Instead of traditional poppy seed vinaigrette, this homemade strawberry balsamic vinaigrette is next-level—bright, sweet, tangy, and crave-worthy.
Balanced flavors and textures: Juicy strawberries, creamy goat cheese, and crunchy caramelized pecans create the perfect bite every time.
Easy yet elevated: Simple to prepare with everyday ingredients, but tastes like something special. It also includes a few extras, such as pears, cucumbers, sunflower seeds, and toasted ramen, which elevate it to perfection!
Customizable: Easy to mix and match ingredients based on what’s in season or what you love most.
Crowd-pleasing and beautiful: A fresh, colorful dish that’s guaranteed to impress at gatherings, dinners, or potlucks.

top shot of easy Strawberry Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing with strawberries, goat cheese, pecans, red onion in a wood bowl with white tongs

Strawberry Spinach Salad Ingredients

Let’s take a closer look at what you need to make this recipe (measurements in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post)

Lettuce: While this Strawberry Salad is traditionally made with spinach, I prefer a blend of spinach and romaine lettuce. The romaine adds more crunch and texture, which is a big win in my book. Of course, this point is flexible and up to your personal preference. You can use both romaine and spinach in your Strawberry Salad, or all one or the other.
Strawberries: Look for ripe, deep red strawberries that are fragrant, juicy, and slightly soft to the touch for the best sweetness and flavor.
Pear: Anjou or Bartlett pears are best for this salad—both are sweet, juicy, and tender without being overly soft, so they hold up well when sliced and mixed with the other ingredients.
Anjou is slightly firmer and milder, while Bartlett is more aromatic and juicy—either adds a delicious contrast to the crunchy and creamy textures.
Cucumber: You can use peeled slicing cucumbers for a milder flavor and softer texture, or go with English or Persian cucumbers for a naturally crisp, thin-skinned option that doesn’t require peeling. All work well—just slice or chop them evenly for a consistent crunch throughout the salad.
Red bell pepper: Adds a mild, sweet crunch and bright color.
Red onion, thinly sliced: Provides a sharp, tangy bite to balance the sweetness. Use more or less to taste.
Ramen noodles: A fun, crispy addition that adds unexpected crunch! Discard the flavor packet and use just the noodles.
Roasted salted sunflower seeds: Nutty, salty bursts that deepen the flavor and add texture. Make sure they’re salted!
Goat cheese crumbles: Creamy and tangy, they melt slightly into the salad for richness. You may substitute with feta.

Pouring Balsamic dressing on strawberry salad in wooden bowl

Strawberry Salad Dressing

Salad is all about – and only as good as – the dressing. I have a classic Strawberry Salad Recipe, but for this jazzed-up version, I went with Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette. And it is ah-mazing.

This Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette is beautifully rich, with a subtle strawberry undertone and a sweet-tart, acidic bite. It’s sweet and sour, complex and simple all at the same time.

Classic Poppy Seed Dressing has loads of sugar, but this Vinaigrette gleans its sweetness from the strawberries and only one tablespoon of sugar. You may need to add more sugar, depending on the sweetness of your balsamic vinegar.

Caramelized PECANS

Strawberry Salad and caramelized pecans go together like macaroni and cheese. They are exponentially better together. You can buy Candied nuts at a specialty store or use your own favorite caramelized or candied nuts recipe, but I always use my 5 Minute Perfect Caramelized Nuts recipe for all my salads and sides because it literally takes just 5 minutes!

I’ve used this Caramelized Nuts recipe on everything from pistachios (Berry Spinach Salad) to walnuts (Apple Cranberry Bacon Salad), to almonds and of course pecans (Roasted Butternut Squash Salad). So feel free to switch up the nuts to your favorite nuts or whatever you have on hand.

How to Make Strawberry Salad

Let’s take a closer look at how to make this recipe with step-by-step photos (full recipe in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post):

Step 1: Make Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette. It’s a snap to make by adding strawberries, balsamic vinegar, and splashes of Dijon, sugar, dried minced onion, garlic, paprika, thyme, salt, and pepper to your blender and processing until smooth, then adding your olive oil and poppy seeds.

Showing how to make strawberry balsamic vinaigrette with strawberries, garlic, balsamic, dijon in a blender

Step 2: Caramelize Pecans. Add the pecans, sugar, and butter to a nonstick skillet and stir constantly. The sugar will begin to clump around the nuts, then melt to envelop them in a smooth, buttery sugar coating. Immediately transfer caramelized nuts to parchment paper so they don’t continue to cook and burn. The Caramelized Pecans will harden as they cool.
Step 3: Toast Ramen. Add ramen noodles to a baking sheet and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Spread in an even layer and bake until toasted, stirring 1-2 times, approximately 10 minutes.
Step 4: Serve. Add all of the salad ingredients to a large bowl. If not expecting leftovers then toss with desired amount of dressing. If expecting leftovers, dress individual portions. Serve immediately.

Side shot of best strawberry salad with Balsamic dressing in a wood bowl with white tongs

TIPS for making salad with strawberries

Make the Dressing First: The Dressing needs time to chill for the flavors to blend and develop—no one likes warm salad dressing! If you are making the salad and serving it immediately, place the Dressing in the freezer for 30 minutes, then transfer it to the refrigerator so it is sufficiently chilled.
Customize the Dressing: Some people prefer a tangier dressing, while others prefer a sweeter one. I recommend starting with one tablespoon of sugar and adjusting by adding more balsamic for a tangier/less sweet flavor or sugar for a sweeter taste. Always make adjustments after the dressing has chilled.
Use Ripe Strawberries: If they aren’t ripe, the dressing will taste sour.
To Prevent Pears from Turning Brown: Soak them in a bowl of apple juice with a splash of lemon juice, which helps prevent oxidation. If you only have lemon juice, mix it with water, soak the pears briefly, then rinse before using.
Hold the Ramen or Dressing: The ramen will start to soften as soon as you add the dressing, so add it only when you’re ready to eat.
Customize Ingredients: The salad ingredients and measurements are suggestions. Feel free to add or swap any ingredients with your favorite veggies, fruits, seeds, and cheese-see section below.
Scale the Recipe Up or Down: This recipe can be easily adjusted to serve a larger crowd or scaled down for individual lunches or smaller groups. Use the arrows next to the servings in the printable recipe card to adjust the recipe accordingly.

up close shot of Strawberry Spinach Salad with strawberry balsamic vinaigrette, caramelized pecans and goat cheese in a wood bowl

How to Customize Your Spinach Strawberry Salad

The recipe ingredients serve as a guideline and are very flexible – you can add as little or as much of the listed ingredients as you like, or substitute them altogether. I suggest always having some crunchy component (like our ramen), a sweet component (such as our caramelized nuts), a salty component (like sunflower seeds), and, of course, cheese. The only fundamental non-negotiable ingredient in this Strawberry Salad is the strawberries, because this is Strawberry Salad 😊

This Strawberry Salad would be amazing with:

Chicken – make it a meal
Quinoa
Avocado
Coconut
Mangos
Grapes
Craisins
Bacon
Slivered almonds
Sunflower seeds
Pine nuts

HOW TO make STRAWBERRY SALAD IN ADVANCE

You can make the Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette up to 3 days in advance and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. I prefer making the Vinaigrette in advance because it tastes far superior when cold and the flavors have had a chance to meld.

You can prep all of the Strawberry Salad ingredients in advance except for the pears, making this a fabulous make ahead side. To make in advance, add all of the salad ingredients EXCEPT pears (they will brown) to a large bowl in sections so they stay somewhat separated – do not toss together. Cover tightly with plastic wrap. When ready to serve, add pears. If not expecting leftovers then toss with desired amount of dressing. If expecting leftovers, dress individual portions. But don’t expect leftovers.

LOOKING FOR MORE STRAWBERRY SALAD RECIPES?

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Poppy Seed Chicken Fruit Salad Lettuce Wraps
Berry Feta Salad with Strawberry Poppy Seed Dressing

up close of strawberry salad with balsamic vinaigrette with strawberries and goat cheese in a wood bowl

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©Carlsbad Cravings by CarlsbadCravings.com

Balsamic Salad with Strawberries

This bright and beautiful Strawberry Salad is LOADED with fresh spinach and romaine, ripe strawberries, creamy goat cheese, crisp red bell pepper, crunchy cucumbers, sweet caramelized pecans, zippy red onion and crunchy toasted ramen then doused in sweet and tangy Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette. It’s a fresh, sweet and tangy crowd favorite perfect for every occasion from Easter to Mother’s Day to today’s dinner. The combination of sweet, salty, tangy creamy, and crunchy is everyone-beg-for-the-recipe worthy.

Servings: servings

Total Time: 30

Prep Time: 25

Cook Time: 5

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Ingredients

Strawberry Salad

1 Recipe Caramelized Pecans
1 small head romaine lettuce chopped
1 lb. strawberries hulled and sliced
5 oz. bag spinach
1 pear thinly sliced and halved or chopped
1 cucumber chopped
red bell pepper chopped
1/4 large red onion thinly sliced
1 package ramen noodles crushed, flavor packet discarded
1/3 cup roasted salted sunflower seeds
4 oz goat cheese crumbles
1 tablespoon olive oil

Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette

1 cup strawberries hulled
1/2 cup aged balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoons sugar
1/2 tablespoon Dijon
1/2 tablespoon dried minced onions
1 clove garlic peeled
1/2 TSP EACH paprika, salt
1/4 TSP EACH dried thyme, pepper
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon poppy seeds

Instructions

Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette

Add all of the Vinaigrette ingredients to blender except olive oil and process until smooth. Turn blender on low, and gradually add olive oil in a slow, steady stream. Whisk in poppy seeds. Add additional balsamic for tangier, sugar for sweeter (will depend on your balsamic).
Vinaigrette is best served chilled. If making and serving salad immediately, place in the freezer so it can get cold, otherwise refrigerate until ready to use. Whisk vinaigrette just before serving.

Strawberry Salad

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Meanwhile, prepare Caramelized Pecans according to directions. Set aside.
Add ramen noodles to a baking sheet and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Spread in an even layer and bake until toasted, stirring 1-2 times, approximately 10 minutes.
Serving Immediately: Add all of the salad ingredients to a large bowl. If not expecting leftovers then toss with desired amount of dressing. If expecting leftovers, dress individual portions. Serve immediately.
Making Ahead: Add all of the salad ingredients EXCEPT pears (they will brown) to a large bowl in sections so they stay somewhat separated – do not toss together. Cover tightly with plastic wrap. When ready to serve, add pears. If not expecting leftovers then toss with desired amount of dressing. If expecting leftovers, dress individual portions. Serve immediately.

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16 Comments

Dave says

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Hi Jen. You forgot to list strawberries in the salad ingredients and how many.

- Jen says
  
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  I guess that’s what happens when you post at midnight – sorry about that! It should be one pound- I’ve updated the recipe. Thanks for catching that Dave!
  
Blaine says

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Hi Jen,
The salad looks amazing! I love all of your recipes. Quick question. The description says crisp red bell pepper, but it isn’t listed in the ingredients. Does that go well in the salad or were you meaning the red onion. Making this for Eater. Thanks!

- Jen says
  
  at
  
  Thanks Blaine, I’m so happy you are enjoying my recipes! It should be one chopped red bell pepper and goes fabulously with the salad :). Happy Easter!
  
Jill says

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This sounds really good, and I plan to make it for an upcoming family get together. One question, do you have a suggestion for a substitute to the ramen?

- Jen says
  
  at
  
  The ramen adds a wonderful crunch but you don’t have to use it – maybe just add additional sunflower seeds. Enjoy!
  
Kelly says

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I made this Strawberry Salad for Easter and it was the hit of the meal! Everyone loved it so much- especially the dressing! I love how easy it is too!

- Jen says
  
  at
  
  That is awesome Kelly, I’m thrilled it was a showstopper and easy too! Thank you, happy Easter!
  
Melinda says

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Another winner! Seriously every recipe I try is just fantastic! I should work my way through the whole blog!

- Jen says
  
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  You made my day, thank you so much Melinda!!!
  
Raine says

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This sounds amazing! Any idea how long the vinaigrette will last in the fridge?

- Jen says
  
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  Hi Raine, due to the fresh strawberries, I would only keep it about 5 days or so, hope that helps!
  
Paula says

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This salad sounds wonderful. I need to bring a salad to a Fourth of July gathering and I found this on your site. But I’m not a fan of goat cheese…any ideas for substitution? I thought maybe Feta? Or I thought maybe I could leave it on the side for those who would like to add it? Thanks.

- Jen says
  
  at
  
  Thanks for you kind words Paula! Feta would be perfect!
  
  - Paula says
    
    at
    
    The Feta was perfect….Everyone loved it. It’s definitely a keeper. Thanks for all the wonderful recipes.
    
    - Jen says
      
      at
      
      Yay! Thank you so much, Paula, I am so glad this one’s a keeper!

PIN THIS RECIPE TO SAVE FOR LATER

Why you’ll love this Spinach Strawberry Salad

Strawberry Spinach Salad Ingredients

Strawberry Salad Dressing

Caramelized PECANS

How to Make Strawberry Salad

TIPS for making salad with strawberries

How to Customize Your Spinach Strawberry Salad

HOW TO make STRAWBERRY SALAD IN ADVANCE

LOOKING FOR MORE STRAWBERRY SALAD RECIPES?

WANT TO TRY THIS RECIPE?

PIN IT to your recipe BOARD TO SAVE FOR LATER!

FIND ME ON PINTEREST FOR MORE GREAT RECIPES! I AM ALWAYS PINNING :)!

Tools Used in This Recipe

Balsamic Salad with Strawberries

Save This Recipe To Your Recipe Box

Ingredients

Strawberry Salad

Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette

Instructions

Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette

Strawberry Salad

Want To Make This Recipe?

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