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For years, I thought salads had to look a certain way—bland iceberg lettuce, salty croutons, and a thick, creamy dressing. I ate them… but I didn’t love them. That all changed when I realized how fresh, vibrant, and satisfying salads can actually be.
This strawberry mixed greens salad is one of my favorites. It’s all about the balance—crisp greens, sweet fruit, creamy avocado, and that bright strawberry basil vinaigrette that brings everything to life. This is the kind of salad you’ll actually crave. Enjoy!
Table of Contents
What is a Mixed Greens Salad?
A mixed green salad is a simple salad made with a variety of leafy greens—like spring mix, spinach, arugula, or lettuce—topped with fresh ingredients and a dressing. It’s known for being light, flexible, and easy to customize based on what you have on hand.
This recipe stands out because it’s more balanced and satisfying—with fruit, healthy fats, crunch, and a homemade strawberry basil dressing that adds fresh, vibrant flavor.
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How to Make Mixed Greens Salad
This mixed greens salad recipe is filled with these greens, plus tangy green apple, creamy avocado, and crunchy almonds. Seriously, this salad is the perfect meal when your sweet tooth comes calling and you’re trying to eat healthy.
1. Wash and dry greens
A recent study done by Consumer Reports says that we should all be washing any produce that comes into our cooking spaces, whether “pre-washed”, organic or otherwise. This is because even those mixed greens carefully washed by well meaning producers can still contain contaminants from E. coli, chemicals and more.
2. Chop apples, avocado and cucumber
I like to chop them all into bite-size pieces (the smaller, the better).
3. Make the Strawberry viniagarette
Combine dressing ingredients in a high-speed blender or food processor and puree into the best dressing you’ve ever had with mixed greens.
4. prepare the plate
Add the mixed greens first, and then toppings to the plate. Drizzle dressing on top and enjoy!
Make-Ahead Tips
If you want this salad for work, prep it all in a mason jar. It’s seriously so easy! Simply layer the ingredients in the mason jar. Keep the strawberry dressing in a separate container until time to eat. When you’re ready to eat, pour the dressing on top, give the mason jar a good shake, and enjoy!
Strawberry Mixed Greens Salad
Ingredients
- 4 cup spring mix greens loosely packed
- 1 cucumber thinly sliced
- 1 green apple diced
- 1 avocado sliced
- ¼ cup sliced almonds
Dressing
- 1 cup strawberries diced
- 6 fresh basil fresh, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 tsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp pure maple syrup
- pinch sea salt, unrefined
- pinch black pepper, ground ground, to taste
Instructions
- Arrange salad ingredients on plates.
- Puree the dressing ingredients in a blender or food processor. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if needed.
- Drizzle some of the dressing over salad (you may not need all of it). Eat immediately.
Notes
- Swap mixed greens with the leafy greens of your choice.
- Oil-free? Omit the olive oil. It’ll still be delicious and less caloric.
- Lemon Vinaigrette would also be delicious on this recipe.
- Add the nuts or seeds of your choice for more healthy fats + protein.
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review for a chance to win signed copies of my cookbooks!Common Questions
Yes! If you have a favorite dressing, feel free to swap out my Strawberry Vinaigrette. Yet I do encourage you to make it one time like this because it’s out-of-this-world delicious!
You sure can. You can swap it for any leafy green you prefer or have on hand. You might check out our Leafy Greens Guide for more inspiration.
In all my salads, I try and use some sorta nuts, seeds or protein to help me stay full. A salad is typically a meal for me, which means it needs a variety of fiber, healthy fats, protein and carbs to keep me full until the next meal.
DAY 1 This MIXED GREEN SALAD is FIVE STARS! So healthy and nutritious! Tastes so delicious!
Aww!! Yay!! I am so happy you enjoyed this one so much. 🙂
Everyone in the family loved this salad! The maple syrup in the dressing is very pleasant and not too sweet! Will be making again!!!
That’s great! I’m glad the whole family enjoyed!
amazing salad! we all love it so much!
Yummy. Great spring flavors packed into a colorful, delicious salad. A hit at our house.
Really great salad recipe! It’s a refreshing change from the salads we usually consume in our household, and made great use of the strawberries and maple syrup we have on hand!
RAWESOME!! That’s exactly why I love these challenges – mixing things up and trying something new! We all need a little change of pace from time to time. Great job!
Love that!!
Loved the recipe for the salad. Great mix of ingredients! The dressing seemed a bit high in sugar with the maple syrup so I substituted a teaspoon of honey.
Perfect substitution!!
Very nice, it tastes like summer!
And who doesn’t love the taste of summer?
Glad you liked it!
I love the hint of strawberries in the dressing to finish off this delicious salad!
Awesome – or should I say “STRAWsome?”
I loved this salad but had to make some substitutions and take some things out because I am diabetic and also on a renal diet.
What were the substitutions you made? And how did the taste work for you? There may be others that this information could benefit! Thanks so much, Tanisha!! 🙂
This salad was tasty and it got me out my same ol’ salad dressing rut. I added leftover salmon, can’t waste that! Really enjoyed the slivered almonds on top.
Perfect! Getting out of the same-old salad rut is def the goal of this challenge!
I love this mix of greens. I did make some substitutions with things on hand, being conscious of added sugar. And I put sautéd shrimp on top-yummy!
Glad that you made the substitutions that would help you to enjoy this recipe!
I also like to add lemon juice to the dressing.
Enjoyed all the yummy fresh deliciousness of this Strawberry Mixed Greens Salad. The crispness of the apple, cool refreshment of the cucumber, crunch of the almonds and creaminess of the avocado = yummy yum!
It is a great combination! We left nothing out! 😉
Avocados are a favorite of mine. I never would have thought of putting them together with strawberries ! Thank you !
Yay for trying something new!! So happy it worked out!
I like the combination of apple, avocado, and strawberry dressing. I would never have thought to put these together.
Well, I’m so glad you met the challenge and gave it a shot!
I love this salad!! The strawberry & basil combination is great and the crunch from the almonds is perfect.
Strawberry and basil do go quite well together! 🙂
Loved this salad! The dressing was awesome.
Yes! So happy you liked it.
Wow this was delicious! I am not normally a fan of avocados by themselves but this recipe is a game changer. I loved loved loved the dressing. All of the ingredients go so well together. Thanks so much for such a great recipe
This dressing is a special one – I’m so happy that it worked for you. And that it made the avocados work for you too! Sounds like an all around win!
this salad is wonderful. I used corn tortillas toasted and broken into pieces. I have problems with fat-even of lots of fatty items-avocado and walnuts, so I didn’t quite add the full cup of walnuts-but the walnut (meat) was lovely addition to the salad-that’s a keeper for other salads and my enchilada recipes-thanks.
I’m so happy that you’ll use the walnut meat in other recipes! And def okay to alter the amounts of ingredients to make them work best for you and your tastebuds.
Very good. Added some sliced strawberries to the salad for an extra fruit kick. Served with some grilled shrimp. Pretty presentation.
Great way to make it work for you by adding the shrimp! I add some sliced strawberries to mine too. 🙂
Too much sweet for me. Too many carb and calories for me. But your pictures are beautiful.
Well, we’re so happy you gave it a shot!
Fresh basil and strawberries is enough to send my nose into overdrive! I love the balance of tangy. sweet, tart, chewy! Oh man! And the colors are so vibrant! Makes me feel like I am at a fancy club! Pair with a glass of sparkling water with ice cubes that have been frozen with pansy and strawberry! Ooooh yummmm!
Oooh la la!
The dressing on this one brings it all together so nicely, too!
Great salad! Strawberry dressing adds a touch of sweetness to make you coming back for more. Very filling (I also added 1/2 cup beans to make it a meal). Apple and almonds add a nice crunch. I also subbed honey instead of maple syrup
I love how you added beans to make it a meal! Subbing in honey for maple syrup is perfect. Keep on rawkin it!