Strawberry & Goat Cheese Salad With Candied Pecans

by Kayla Berman on August 7, 2025 0 comments

Bright, fresh, fruity flavor awaits you with my easy Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad recipe. With just 10 basic ingredients, you’ll have a bowlful of colorful goodness—tender spring greens, juicy berries, crunchy caramelized pecans, tangy goat cheese, and a sweet-tart strawberry dressing. Delightful!

There’s something special about the wide world of salad recipes—there’s vegan cucumber pepper salad or meaty burger salad bowls; low-carb pickle egg salad or carb-heavy bruschetta pasta salad; creamy bacon ranch chicken salad or tangy raw carrot salad. And I love how with each bite, you get an array of textures, tastes, and ingredients—even in the simplest side salad.

This strawberry goat cheese pecan salad is a perfect amalgamation of what a salad should be. There’s creamy goat cheese, fresh fruit, an abundance of mixed greens, and crunchy nuts. It’s sweet, earthy, and tangy. And it is as good as a summer side dish or a full-on meal—these flavors play nicely with all your grilling season favorites, from BBQ chicken to juicy steaks!

So, next time you’re in need of a light lunch or dinner recipe or a colorful side dish recipe to share at a potluck, give this goat cheese and strawberry salad a try. I have a feeling you’ll be making it on repeat all season long. 😉

Love strawberry season as much as I do? Try my chocolate strawberry yogurt clusters, strawberry cheesecake overnight oats, or strawberry shortcake cookie cups next!

Why You’ll Love This Salad With Strawberries & Goat Cheese

Just 10 Simple Ingredients – While the big, bright flavor of this salad may lead you to believe there’s a ton of ingredients in it, that isn’t the case—you only need 10! Plus, I’d bet you have at least half of what you need in the pantry already.
Perfect for Salad Skeptics – If you have people on your crew who claim that salads are just “rabbit food,” give them a bite of this cheerful bowl. Between the juicy strawberries, strawberry salad dressing, candied pecans, and creamy goat cheese, I have a feeling they’ll change their tune. Who can resist all the sweet goodness??
Customizable – Not a fan of spring mix? Swap in peppery arugula or tender baby spinach. Don’t love goat cheese? Try feta or blue cheese instead. Can’t do nuts? Try swapping in pepitas. Want more protein? Add some chicken! There are tons of ways to make this strawberry salad your own—read on below for more ideas.

Nutritional Deep Dive

This strawberry summer goat cheese salad is the perfect combo of fresh, creamy, tangy, and sweet—and it just so happens to be packed with feel-good nutrition too. Each serving contains approximately 370 calories, with 14.5 grams of carbohydrates, 33.8 grams of fat, and a surprisingly decent 5.4g protein.

While it’s higher in healthy fats thanks to avocado, olive oil, and pecans, it’s also low in sugar and full of nutrient-dense ingredients that offer more than just flavor. The strawberries add natural sweetness, the goat cheese gives an irresistibly tangy creaminess, and the candied pecans provide crunch for a salad that satisfies without feeling heavy.

If you want to add more protein, toss in grilled chicken, roasted salmon, or sliced steak to turn this salad into a more filling main course. For a vegetarian option, hemp seeds, a soft-boiled egg, grilled tofu, or chickpeas are great options!
If you want to add more fiber, adding extra strawberries, a handful of cooked quinoa or wild rice, or a sprinkle of chia seeds.
If you want to reduce calories, try using fewer candied pecans or swapping them for plain toasted pecans. You can also scale back the goat cheese slightly, thin the dressing with a little water or lemon juice to stretch it further, or reduce the amount of honey you use.
If you want to lower the sugar, you can reduce the amount or omit the honey from the dressing entirely, opting for a sugar-free alternative like monkfruit or stevia. Also, don’t forget that strawberries provide plenty of natural sweetness on their own, so you may not need to add much!

Strawberries don’t just bring juicy, sweet-tart flavor to the party—they’re also low in calories and high in nutrients. Just one cup of strawberries delivers around 50 calories, 3 grams of fiber, and over 100% of your daily vitamin C needs! They’re also rich in antioxidants, especially anthocyanins and ellagic acid, which may support heart health and reduce inflammation.

Plus, strawberries’ natural sweetness helps balance the tang of goat cheese and any bitter greens in your salad, all while keeping added sugar low. In this salad, they do double duty: fresh in the mix and blended into the vinaigrette for a naturally sweet, antioxidant-rich dressing you’ll want to drizzle on everything.

Ingredients & Substitutions

Butter – Using a touch of butter to caramelize the candied pecans adds a lovely richness. If possible, use organic, grass-fed butter for the best nutritional profile.
Honey – This natural, unrefined sweetener adds a floral sweetness to both the candied nuts and dressing. Aside from being less processed than table sugar, it’s also lower in glycemic impact and has some potential health benefits.
Pecan Halves – One of my favorite nuts! Feel free to use pecan pieces for a price break—they won’t be as fancy-looking, but they’ll taste just as good.
Strawberries – You can use defrosted frozen berries for the dressing, but make sure to use fresh ones for the salad—the frozen kind get pretty mushy.
Apple Cider Vinegar – In my opinion, apple cider vinegar has the perfect balance of sweetness and tang, adding a fruity pep to our strawberry salad dressing. Better yet, it’s packed with probiotics (more if you buy the kind with the “mother” intact) and can even help kill any lingering bacteria on your salad mix. In a pinch, rice wine vinegar, champagne vinegar, or white wine vinegar will do the trick!
Olive Oil – If you have it, this is a great time to use fancy cold-pressed extra virgin finishing oil (e.g. Graza’s “ Drizzle”). If not, regular cooking olive oil, neutral avocado oil, or canola oil can be used instead.
Spring Mix – The way I see it, the more color in my strawberry and goat cheese salad, the better! Feel free to swap in any leafy salad greens you prefer.
Red Onion – Raw red onions are much milder and sweeter than white and bring a pop of color (and anthocyanins!) that yellow do not. Shallots are the best substitute, but feel free to use whatever variety you have on hand.
Avocado – Creamy, heart-healthy avocado adds a nice richness and brings a deep bench of nutrients to the table, including vitamins C, E, K and B6, riboflavin, niacin, magnesium, and potassium.
Goat Cheese – This creamy, dreamy addition adds yummy flavor, texture, and important nutrients like calcium and phosphorus. As a bonus, it can be easier to digest than cow’s milk cheese, but still has plenty of protein!

How To Make Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad

Step 1: Make Candied Pecans. Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Once it’s melted, stir in the honey and pecans, making sure the nuts are fully coated. Let them cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they’re toasty, golden, and smell amazing. Sprinkle with a little salt and black pepper, then take the pan off the heat and let the pecans cool completely—they’ll crisp up as they sit.

Step 2: Make Strawberry Dressing. Pop the strawberries into a high-speed blender and blend until smooth. Add the apple cider vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper, and give it another quick blend. Finally, pour in the olive oil and blend once more until the dressing is emulsified and turns that pretty pink color.

Step 3: Assemble the Salad. Toss together the spring mix, sliced strawberries, red onion, and avocado in a large bowl. Plate it up, then top with crumbled goat cheese, the cooled candied pecans, and a generous drizzle of that homemade strawberry vinaigrette. Enjoy!

Optional Variations

Dairy-Free – Swap the goat cheese for a dairy-free alternative, like marinated tofu feta or extra avocado slices for creaminess without the cheese.
Different Cheese – Not a fan of goat cheese? Try using crumbled feta, blue cheese, or shaved ricotta salata.
Different Nuts – Use sliced almonds, walnuts, or pistachios in place of pecans—they all taste great candied, or just toasted!
Nut-Free – Candied pepitas are a great option. You can also use regular roasted sunflower seeds! Alternatively, add crunch with honey granola clusters or homemade croutons.
Switch Up the Fruit – Try blueberries, raspberries, sliced nectarines, or even pomegranate seeds instead of (or alongside) the strawberries.
Seasonal Spin – This salad is easy to customize year-round. In the fall, try using thinly sliced apples or pears—you can even add cubes of roasted butternut squash. In the winter, add citrus segments and swap the dressing for a pomegranate or maple-balsamic vinaigrette.

Expert Tips

Chill out. It is easier to crumble the goat cheese if you place it in the freezer for about 15 minutes prior to assembling the salad. I like to use a fork to make tiny crumbles.
Let the candied pecans cool completely. They’ll continue to crisp up as they cool, which gives the salad that perfect crunchy contrast. If you add them while they’re still warm, they can wilt the greens and melt the goat cheese.
Use ripe but firm strawberries. Super ripe berries will give you the best flavor in both the salad and the dressing—but if they’re too soft, they’ll turn mushy and bleed into the greens. Choose ones that are bright, vibrant red (all the way to the stem!) and smooth, shiny skin.
Blend the dressing in stages. Adding the olive oil last and blending until emulsified helps create a smooth, well-mixed vinaigrette that clings beautifully to the salad without separating.
Slice the red onions thin. A paper-thin slice gives just enough bite without overpowering the other flavors—if you have one, a mandoline will help. If you find the flavor of your raw onion too sharp, you can soak the slices in ice water for 10 minutes to mellow them out, then drain and pat dry before adding to the salad.
Toss the greens right before serving. Spring mix is delicate, so it’s best to dress the salad just before eating to keep everything fresh and crisp.
Serve at room temp for the best flavor. Cold goat cheese and dressing can dull the flavor a bit. Let everything sit out for 10–15 minutes before serving to bring out the salad’s full potential.

Serving Suggestions

There’s no wrong way to eat this summery strawberry goat cheese salad, but there are lots of very right ways to serve it! Here are some of my favorites:

Perfect for brunch or bridal showers. This salad brings just the right amount of elegance to the table. Pair it with a cottage cheese egg bake, crispy feta fried eggs, or egg white spinach frittata for a light and lovely spread.
Serve as a starter for summer dinners. Begin your meal with this light and refreshing salad before moving onto summery favorites like chicken fajita tacos, healthy chicken pomodoro skillet, or baja shrimp taco bowls.
Pair it with a crusty bread or homemade crostini. A slice of something carby adds a satisfying chew and helps soak up any leftover dressing.
Pack it picnic-style. Store the components separately in containers and assemble just before eating. It’s perfect for warm-weather outings and travels well when prepped in advance and packed on ice.
Turn it into a mini side salad. Serve smaller portions as a bright contrast to rich dishes like cream cheese stuffed chicken breasts, marry me salmon, or spicy vodka pasta to balance heavier flavors with something fresh and tangy.

Storage Instructions

Keep the salad ingredients, candied pecans, and dressing in separate containers for the best texture and freshness. Assemble just before serving—it’s best eaten right away.
Leftover tossed salad can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a day, but the greens may wilt and the pecans can lose their crunch.
Store the spring mix, sliced onions, and strawberries in separate airtight containers (line the washed salad mix container with a paper towel to absorb excess moisture). They’ll stay fresh in the fridge for up to 2–3 days.
Candied pecans should be cooled completely, then transfer them to an airtight container and keep at room temperature for up to a week. Avoid refrigerating—they can get sticky.
Strawberry vinaigrette can be kept in a sealed jar or dressing bottle in the fridge for up to 5 days. Shake or stir well before each use, as natural separation may occur.

FAQs

What dressing for strawberry goat cheese salad?

My strawberry vinaigrette is a perfect match for strawberry goat cheese salad—it complements the sweetness of the berries and the tanginess of the goat cheese without overpowering the other ingredients. If you’re looking for an alternative, balsamic vinaigrette, poppy seed dressing, or even a lemony Dijon vinaigrette can also work well, especially if you’re switching up the fruit or adding grilled protein.

What goes with goat’s cheese salad?

Goat’s cheese salad pairs beautifully with crusty bread or crostini, making it great alongside soups or light pastas. For added protein, grilled chicken or salmon are excellent choices. To drink, try sparkling water, rosé, or a crisp white wine like Sauvignon Blanc.

What kind of cheese do you put in a strawberry salad?

I personally prefer goat cheese—it’s tangy without being overbearing and has a lovely creamy texture. That said, feta or blue cheese crumbles are also popular choices!

What fruit spread goes with goat cheese?

Goat cheese pairs wonderfully with fruits that balance its tangy, creamy flavor. Popular spread options include fig jam, apricot preserves, cherry compote, raspberry jam, and strawberry preserves. For something more unique, try pear butter, cranberry sauce, or orange marmalade—any would be welcome on your next cheese board!

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