Easy Strawberry Kale Salad with Homemade Strawberry Vinaigrette Recipe
This easy strawberry kale salad combines hearty chopped kale with fresh sliced strawberries, crunchy pecans, red onion, and creamy goat cheese, all tossed in a homemade strawberry vinaigrette. It’s a refreshing and nutritious salad perfect for lunch or dinner that can be prepped in advance with minimal effort.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients
- 1 bunch of fresh kale, chopped (about 6 cups)
- 1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
- ½ cup sliced red onion
- ⅓ cup chopped pecans
- ¼ cup crumbled goat cheese
Strawberry Vinaigrette Dressing
- 1 cup fresh strawberries, mashed or blended
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
- ¼ cup olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the Dressing: In a blender or bowl, combine fresh strawberries, balsamic vinegar, honey, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Blend or whisk until smooth to create a flavorful strawberry vinaigrette. Refrigerate if not using immediately.
- Assemble the Salad: In a large salad bowl, combine the chopped kale, sliced strawberries, sliced red onion, crumbled goat cheese, and chopped pecans.
- Add Dressing and Toss: Pour about ¼ cup of the strawberry vinaigrette over the salad ingredients. Toss thoroughly to ensure everything is evenly coated with the dressing.
- Serve: Serve immediately for the freshest taste, or prepare components separately and combine just before eating to maintain texture and flavor.
Notes
- Kale: Use either curly kale or dinosaur (Lacinato) kale as preferred. Prepping and storing chopped kale in advance can save time.
- Strawberries: Always use fresh strawberries for the best texture and flavor; frozen strawberries tend to make the salad mushy.
- Storage: To keep the salad fresh longer, store the kale, strawberries, onions, pecans, goat cheese, and dressing separately. Combine and dress just before serving.
