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As the weather warms up, I find myself craving salads, especially the light, fruity variety like this Strawberry and Walnut Salad with Walnut Balsamic Vinaigrette. The sweet juicy strawberries are the perfect foil to the mild chicken and avocado and walnuts add a lovely crunch.
Strawberry and Walnut Salad with a Walnut Balsamic Vinaigrette
Perfect for a light lunch or salad supper, my Strawberry and Walnut Salad is seriously nutrient dense so great for helping you to keep your spring healthy eating resolutions. I like to use mixed salad but any salad greens or lettuce will work just fine.Simply omit the chicken to make this recipe vegetarian, adding some extra avocado and walnuts, if you like. For a vegan option, do the same, and substitute maple syrup for the honey in the dressing.
This is a great salad for people like me who find themselves working through lunch without meaning to. If you keep healthy ingredients like poached chicken breasts, avocado and fresh strawberries on hand, it takes literally minutes to throw together. Strawberry and Walnut Salad packs a fantastic nutritional punch with the good fats in the avocado and walnuts, the lean protein in the chicken and the vitamins in the strawberries.
Incidentally, if you don’t have any avocado on hand or prefer not to use it, this salad is still absolutely delicious.
A Hearty Supper Salad
While I often prefer warm salads like my Salade Frisée aux Lardons for supper, my Strawberry and Walnut Salad is definitely hearty enough to satisfy when it comes to an evening meal on a hot summer day. Just add some crusty bread or hot rolls for those with really big appetites.
Love Salad? Don’t miss my Favourite Salad Recipes.
A Good Dressing Makes a Difference
A good salad is very dependent on its dressing and this one is no exception. Walnut oil is best for the vinaigrette as it really draws out the flavour of the nuts but mild olive oil works as well. (Extra virgin olive oil isn’t needed in this case. The flavour can be quite heavy and you don’t want to overpower the delicate taste of the strawberries.)
Please use a good balsamic vinegar, one that has been aged for at least 12 years. You get what you pay for when it comes to balsamic vinegar and as a little goes a long way, it’s well worth buying the best you can afford. Dijon mustard adds a lovely tang. If you are out of honey you can use a teaspoon of sugar instead but I do prefer the flavour of honey in this case.
Enjoy my versatile Strawberry and Walnut Salad for lunch or dinner one day soon. The fresh flavour of this healthy salad is bound to energise and uplift you, whatever the weather!
Strawberry and Walnut Salad With Balsamic Vinaigrette – Printable Recipe
Strawberry and Walnut Salad
Ingredients
- 3 cups shredded crisp green lettuce
- 1 cup sliced strawberries
- 3 celery sticks, finely chopped
- half a ripe avocado, peeled and chopped in small pieces
- 2 cooked chicken breasts
- ¼ cup chopped walnuts
- 2 tablespoons walnut oil or mild olive oil
- 4 teaspoons Balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon runny honey use maple syrup for a vegan option
Instructions
- To make the dressing, thoroughly shake or whisk together the oil, Balsamic vinegar, mustard and honey or maple syrup.
- In a medium bowl, toss the strawberries, chopped celery, avocado, chicken (if using) and walnuts together.
- Divide the shredded lettuce between two plates.
- Top with the tossed strawberries, celery, avocado, chicken and walnuts.
- Drizzle with the dressing.
- Serve at once.
Notes
did you make this recipe?
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Spring salads are so fresh and yummy. I love your dressing paired with the strawberries! Please link this scrumptious post up at #PureBlogLove link party. it’s live now! I’m hosting at http://www.homemadefoodjunkie.com. We’d love to see you there!
Thank you, Diane! I’ve linked up 🙂
This looks like a delicious salad April. Love the strawberries, nuts and dressing!
Thank you, Cindy! It really is delicious 🙂
I love the color and healthful combo of textures and flavors in this dish. YUM.
Thank you, KC 🙂
Dear April, I could eat this salad for lunch or dinner. Sometimes I just crave a light meal like this. This is fresh and delicious…love it. xo, Catherine
Thank you, Catherine 🙂
What a festive salad April…perfect for Easter and Passover!
Thank you, Linda! It really is lovely for this time of year 🙂
This salad is making me drool. I love strawberries and walnuts in any salad. This is going in my recipe book.
I’m so glad you like it, Rini! Thank you – and thank you for sharing it too 🙂
Love all the ingredients, and the dressing sounds fabulous! So pretty, which is a nice bonus!
Thank you, Patricia! There’s something about strawberries – they always look so lovely!
Looks very healthy and love adding strawberries and walnuts to a salad!
Thank you, Joanne 🙂 I love it when delicious is good for you too – and luckily this salad is one of those times!
I love every single thing in this salad, April. Fantastic!
Thank you, Susie 🙂
April, this a fantastic salad! It gets me right into the springtime mood!
Thank you, Kecia 🙂
Love this beautiful salad, April! It looks absolutely tasty, wonderful and so colorful!
Thank you, Hadia! It is one of my favourites as well 🙂
Delicious strawberry and walnut salad April. Love the color.
Thank you, Swathi 🙂
April,
Your salad and dressing look delicious. Funny, I posted salad dressings this week too.
Thank you so much, Judee. Great minds definitely think alike 😉
April, you have some of my favourite foods here: what a beautiful, healthy, refreshing combination.
Thank you so much, Pauline 🙂
Hi April,
Like you when the weather warms we start to think of wonderful salads that will cool the hot summer days. Your salad is a wonderful combination of flavor. Thanks so much for sharing your awesome post with us at Full Plate Thursday. Have a great week and come back to see us real soon!
Miz Helen
I’m so glad you like my salad, Miz Helen! Thank you so much for the compliment and for visiting. Look forward to seeing you again soon! Hope your week is going well.
What a great combination! So delicious, easy to make and perfect to eat!
Thank you! It really is delicious and very refreshing 🙂
What a lovely salad which would be so refreshing on a hot summer night! Sharing!
Thank you so much, Linda, and thank you for sharing too!
Now this looks scrumptious! And just in time for our strawberry season 🙂
Thank you so much, Suzan! Our strawberries have started to come in at home in the UK as well 🙂
YUM! Perfect combination! I’d like to invite you to bring this post and more over to my new UNLIMITED Monthly Link Party!
Oh, forgot to say that I pinned this ♥
Thank you so much for pinning, Dee 🙂
Congrats! Your post is FEATURED at the #UnlimitedMonthlyLinkParty 2!
Wonderful refreshing salad. I adore summer salads. Balsamic vinaigrette is the best. I would love ❤️ if you shared this at “Love Your Creativity.” The party is every Sunday.
Thank you so much and thank you for the invitation, Linda. I hope to pop by later 🙂
Well, doesn’t that look delicious! I just recently discovered that adding walnuts to a salad is so tasty, all this time I’ve been missing out!
Thank you so much, Leslie! Nuts are a great way to add flavour, crunch and nutrition 🙂
It only works when I’m Mauritania.
Well, that is very strange indeed, Cora, as I know people all over the world have made the recipe successfully. Obviously fresh strawberries need to be in season, but other than that, the recipe certainly works world-wide.