Spring Dinner Strawberry Arugula (Printable)

Refreshing spring salad with strawberries, arugula, goat cheese, toasted nuts, and balsamic glaze.

# What You Need:

→ Salad

01 - 6 cups fresh arugula, washed and dried
02 - 2 cups ripe strawberries, hulled and sliced
03 - 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
04 - 3/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
05 - 1/2 cup toasted pecans or walnuts, roughly chopped
06 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Balsamic Glaze

07 - 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
08 - 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup

→ Dressing

09 - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
10 - 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
11 - 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

# Directions:

01 - In a small saucepan, combine balsamic vinegar and honey or maple syrup. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and let simmer for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and let cool.
02 - In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, and sea salt until well combined.
03 - In a large salad bowl, combine arugula, strawberries, and red onion.
04 - Drizzle the olive oil and lemon dressing over the salad and toss gently to combine.
05 - Add crumbled goat cheese and toasted pecans or walnuts. Toss lightly or arrange toppings neatly for presentation.
06 - Drizzle the cooled balsamic glaze over the salad just before serving. Finish with freshly ground black pepper.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • It comes together in twenty minutes, which means you can actually enjoy your guests instead of being glued to the stove.
  • The balsamic glaze tastes like you've been simmering it all day, but it's really just five minutes of gentle heat and patience.
  • Fresh strawberries in a savory context feel like a small rebellion against everything predictable about spring entertaining.
02 -
  • Don't dress the entire salad if you're not serving it immediately, because wet greens are depressing greens, and you've gone to too much trouble for that.
  • The balsamic glaze thickens more as it cools, so pull it off the heat just before it seems thick enough, or you'll end up with something more like a syrup.
03 -
  • Taste your strawberries before you commit to them, because a mediocre strawberry will drag down everything else on the plate.
  • Keep everything cold until the moment you serve, including your salad bowl if you have time to chill it, because warm greens make the whole thing wilt disappointingly fast.
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