Strawberry Crunch Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette

🍓 Strawberry Crunch Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette – A Fresh and Easy Summer Salad

If you love strawberries, you’re going to fall in love with this salad! This Strawberry Crunch Salad is perfect for warm days. It’s full of fresh fruit, creamy cheese, crunchy nuts, and a light, tasty dressing. It’s easy to make and so delicious!

🥗 Why You’ll Love This Salad

This salad is:

• Fresh – made with juicy strawberries and arugula.
• Creamy – thanks to avocado and goat cheese.
• Crunchy – with two kinds of nuts!
• Tangy & Sweet – from a homemade champagne vinaigrette.

Whether you eat it for lunch or serve it before dinner, this salad is always a hit.

🌰 The Crunch Factor

The crunch is what makes this salad special! Here’s how:

• Sugared Almonds – These are sweet and crispy. You make them in a pan with a little sugar. Just watch them closely so they don’t burn!
• Roasted Salted Pistachios – These add a salty crunch that balances the sweet almonds perfectly.

Having both sweet and salty nuts gives the salad amazing texture.

🧀 Creamy Add-Ins

To make the salad creamy and more filling, add:

• Avocado – soft and mild
• Goat Cheese – creamy and tangy

If you don’t like goat cheese, you can use feta or skip the cheese altogether.

🍓 The Star Ingredient: Strawberries

Use fresh, sweet strawberries. You can slice them, quarter them, or chop them. This salad is best during strawberry season when they’re naturally sweet and juicy!

🥄 The Dressing: Champagne Vinaigrette

This dressing is light, a little tangy, and very easy to make. It’s made with:

• Champagne vinegar
• Lemon juice
• Honey
• Dijon mustard
• Garlic
• Olive oil
• Salt & pepper

It adds flavor without taking away from the freshness of the salad. If you don’t have champagne vinegar, you can use your favorite vinaigrette.

📝 Easy Recipe Steps

Ingredients:

For the Salad:

• ⅔ cup sliced almonds
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 10 oz arugula
• 8 oz strawberries, chopped
• 1 avocado, chopped
• 2 oz goat cheese, crumbled
• ⅓ cup salted pistachios, chopped

For the Dressing:

• 3 tbsp champagne vinegar
• ½ lemon, juiced
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 garlic clove, grated
• Salt & pepper
• ½ cup olive oil

Instructions:

1. Make Sugared Almonds:
   Cook almonds and sugar in a pan until sugar melts and covers the almonds. Stir often so they don’t burn. Let cool on parchment paper.
2. Mix the Salad:
   In a big bowl, toss the arugula with salt and pepper. Add strawberries, avocado, goat cheese, pistachios, and sugared almonds.
3. Make the Dressing:
   In a bowl, whisk vinegar, lemon juice, honey, mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper. Slowly whisk in olive oil until blended. Keep in the fridge for up to one week.
4. Dress & Serve:
   Pour dressing over the salad, toss well, and enjoy right away!

💡 Final Thoughts

This Strawberry Crunch Salad is light, flavorful, and full of texture. It’s a great way to enjoy fresh fruit in a savory dish. Perfect for picnics, lunches, or dinner starters!