Strawberry Avocado Salad

Why You’ll Love This Strawberry Avocado Salad

Sweet and savory balance — This strawberry and avocado salad strikes a perfect balance between sweet and savory with the bright berries and savory avocado pieces you get in each bite. 

Creamy + juicy texture contrast — Just like sweet/savory, I also love a variety of textures in my salads. This strawberry avocado salad recipe offers creamy avocado and feta plus juicy bites of strawberries. Bonus textures include the bite of red onion and crunchy pecans. Delish! 

Bright citrus dressing — While many dressings may try, nothing tops my honey citrus dressing for this salad. Chock full of orange and lemon juices plus honey for a touch of sweetness and dijon for a bit of tang, all of these flavors meld together as the best flavor unifier for this salad. 

Perfect for spring gatherings — The next time you find yourself wanting to host dinner guests the second the weather warms up, this avocado strawberry salad will do the trick. 

Naturally gluten-free — If you’re looking for a delicious salad that’s also free of gluten, look no further than this strawberry avocado salad with honey vinaigrette.

Ingredients 

Strawberries — It’s best to get strawberries in season if you can. They are much sweeter and juicier.

Red onion — Small dices or thin strips, however you like your red onion, I recommend adding them to this salad for the best tangy flavor in every bite.

Feta — I almost always buy feta crumbles but if you have a block of feta you can cut into little cubes or crumble over the salad with your hands. Goat cheese is a good substitution here too if you don’t like or have feta.

Pecans — There’s nothing like the taste of freshly toasted pecans in this salad. If you don’t like pecans, I suggest substituting pistachios or walnuts. 

Avocado — Ripe avocado pieces are just the best in this salad. I like to cut mine into little cubes so I get one with every bite. 

Handful of fresh mixed greens —  Baby arugula is my go-to for this salad. You could also use a baby spring mix or baby spinach. 

Honey Citrus Dressing

Honey — Just a touch of honey helps balance out the tartness of the juices in this strawberry avocado salad dressing. 

Fresh-squeezed orange and lemon juices — Fresh-squeezed is best! If you MUST you can use bottled orange and lemon juices but for the best, brightest flavor try squeezing it yourself. 

Dijon mustard — Dijon gives a different sort of tangy flavor to this dressing and also acts as a binder helping the olive oil and juices to come together.

How to Make Strawberry Avocado Salad

Making this two-step salad couldn’t be any easier.

1. First, add all the honey citrus dressing ingredients together in a jar with a lid and shake until combined. Or you can use a food processor or blender to combine ingredients until smooth, adding salt and pepper to taste as you go. 

2. Next, toss together all the salad ingredients in a large bowl, then pour the dressing over the salad and toss just before you’re ready to serve it.

Expert Tips and Tricks

How to Keep Avocado from Browning two ways:

• How to keep avocado from turning brown after cutting, toss the avocado dices in a tablespoon of lemon juice or olive oil. Since the salad contains both of these ingredients, you’ll never taste the addition on the avocado once it’s tossed and this will keep the avocado fresh in the salad
• This salad is best the day it’s made. It will keep in the fridge for another day or so but keep in mind the ingredients will become soggier the longer it rests in the fridge. 
• For best results, store the dressing separately and toss this strawberry avocado salad right before serving.

Recommended Salad Substitutions 

• Not a fan of strawberries, can’t find any, or not in season? I’ve also made this recipe with fresh blueberries, blackberries, and crisp apple slices. 
• No peans? Try pistachios, walnuts, or cashews. To add a sweeter flavor you could also use candied pecans or walnuts. 
• Instead of feta, try blue cheese, goat cheese, or gorgonzola. 
• Swap red onion for small dices of shallot, sliced radishes, or fennel slivers.

More Recipes to Try

• Apple Cranberry Bacon Candied Walnut Salad – crisp apples, smoky bacon bits, and crunchy candied walnuts tossed in a sweet-savory vinaigrette.
• Berry Mandarin Orange Salad – a bright, refreshing mix of juicy berries and mandarin oranges with a sweet citrus drizzle.
• Strawberry Spinach Salad – fresh baby spinach, sweet strawberries, creamy feta, and sliced almonds in creamy poppyseed dressing.