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close up image of rose gold spoon ladling the dressing onto a bowl of the strawberry walnut goat cheese salad in a white salad bowl

Strawberry Walnut Goat Cheese Salad with Basil Balsamic Vinaigrette

A delicious summer salad that encapsulates the delightful flavors of sweet summertime with sugar snap peas, juicy strawberries, pickled red onions, ripe avocado, creamy goat cheese, and maple toasted walnuts. All these flavors are tied together with an easy homemade basil vinaigrette that will make your taste buds sing with each bite!
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pickled red onion
  • ¾ cup apple cider vinegar
  • ¼ cup water
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 red onion sliced thin
Basil balsamic vinaigrette
  • 2 tbsp fresh basil finely chopped
  • 1 clove fresh garlic minced or finely chopped
  • 1 tsp honey or maple syrup
  • ⅓ cup balsamic vinegar good quality
  • ⅔ cup extra virgin olive oil good quality
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp fresh ground pepper
Maple toasted walnuts
  • 1 cup walnuts
  • 2-3 tbsp maple syrup real
  • spring mix lettuce or baby spinach, or arugula
Salad
  • 1 cup sugar snap peas roughly chopped
  • ½ cup goat cheese broken into crumbles
  • ½ cup pickled red onions* see recipe link in notes
  • 1-2 avocado ripe, sliced

Method
 

Pickled red onion
  1. In a small saucepan, bring the vinegar, water, and sugar to a simmer. Meanwhile, place your red onion slices into a large mason jar, or bowl that has a tight fitting lid.
  2. Pour simmering vinegar mixture into the jar with the red onions. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and shake vigorously. Let sit for 30 minutes.
Basil vinaigrette
  1. Combine all vinaigrette ingredients in a medium or small mason jar with a tight fitting lid. Shake vigorously and set aside.
Maple toasted walnuts
  1. In a medium cast iron pan or skillet, heat the maple syrup over medium high heat. Add the walnuts and sauté for 2-3 minutes until they become slightly brown and candied and there is no longer maple syrup in the skillet.
Assemble the salads
  1. In salad serving bowls, place a handful of lettuce in the bottom of each bowl. Splitting the salad ingredients into quarters, follow with the pickled red onion, sugar snap peas, avocado, goat cheese and then the walnuts. Spoon over the basil vinaigrette to taste.

Notes

* If you like your dressing a little sweeter, add a touch of maple syrup to the vinaigrette!