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Nothing says spring quite like juicy strawberries, crisp fennel, and peppery arugula. I first made this strawberry arugula salad for my latest cookbook, and it’s been a favorite ever since. Honestly, the toppings are what made me fall in love with it—but everyone who tries it always asks about the Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette in top. It’s so simple and so good.
Ingredients You’ll Need
I know a few of these ingredients might be new to you (they were for me once, too!), but that’s part of the fun—discovering how incredible new flavors can be. This salad is packed with good-for-you plants that make you feel amazing inside and out:
- Arugula: a leafy green with a little peppery bite (it’s in the same family as kale and broccoli).
- Fennel: crunchy and lightly sweet with a hint of licorice flavor.
- Orange + berries: full of vitamin C and antioxidants, and they add bright pops of flavor.
- Meyer lemon: slightly sweeter than regular lemons and totally addictive. I use them in my Ginger Lemon Honey Tea.
How to Make Strawberry Arugula Salad
- Combine all dressing ingredients (except for the poppy seeds!) in a blender or food processor. Blend until creamy. You may need to add a bit of water to help it blend well. Hand mix in the poppy seeds, then store in the fridge until ready to serve.
- Slice the fennel bulb, Meyer lemon, strawberries, almonds and orange, then toss with the arugula and berries.
- Once you’re ready to eat, shake up that homemade vinaigrette and pour over the salad.
I won’t judge if you lick the bowl on this one. It’s ridiculously good. I love Meyer lemons so much I started growing them in my yard and eating them like apples. If this is your first time trying one then I dare you not to immediately fall in love.
Ingredient Swaps
While Meyer lemons are definitely preferred, you can swap them out for regular lemons. Just know the dressing will be tart.
You can swap fennel for yellow onion as well as the berries for any berries you have on hand.
If you need this salad to be nut-free, then swap the almonds with hemp hearts or sunflower seeds, and swap the cashews in the lemon vinaigrette with the same.
Strawberry Arugula Salad
Ingredients
- 4 cups arugula
- ½ fennel bulb very thinly sliced
- 1 orange peeled and segmented
- ½ cup strawberries sliced
- ½ cup blueberries
- ½ cup raspberries
- ½ Meyer lemon seeded and very thinly sliced
- ¼ cup sliced almonds
Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette
- 2 tbsp raw cashews soaked
- 2 tbsp Meyer lemon juiced
- 1 tsp raw honey
- ⅛ tsp sea salt, unrefined
- ⅛ black pepper, ground
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp poppy seeds
Instructions
- Combine the cashews, lemon juice, honey, salt and pepper in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Add a teaspoon of water if needed. Mix in poppy seeds and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, combine the arugula, fennel, oranges, berries, lemon and almonds.
- When ready to serve, drizzle dressing on top.
Notes
- If you have time, soak cashews in water for 2+ hours to get creamiest result. You can also “flash soak” by putting cashews in a bowl with boiling water. Cover with a plate for 10 minutes, then rinse and drain.
- Store dressing in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Swap in whatever berries you have on hand.
- Hemp hearts or sunflower seeds can be swapped in for almonds in the salad and for the cashews in the dressing.
- Meyer lemons are less tart and much sweeter (and larger) than regular lemons. You can swap in regular lemons if you can’t find Meyer lemons, yet it will change the flavor of the salad and vinaigrette.
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review for a chance to win signed copies of my cookbooks!Common Questions
You can prep most of it ahead! Slice the fennel, citrus, and berries up to a day in advance and store them separately in the fridge. Wait to toss everything with the arugula and dressing until just before serving to keep it crisp and fresh.
Meyer lemons are sweeter and less tart than regular lemons, but if you can’t find them, you can absolutely use regular lemons. Just know the flavor will be a bit more tangy—still delicious, just a little brighter.
Soaking helps make the dressing super creamy, but if you’re short on time, do a “flash soak.” Just pour boiling water over the cashews, cover the bowl for 10 minutes, then drain and blend.
Yes! Swap the sliced almonds for hemp hearts or sunflower seeds, and use the same seed swap in the vinaigrette instead of cashews. It will still taste rich and delicious.
Store the Meyer lemon vinaigrette in a jar with a tight-fitting lid in the fridge for up to 1 week. Give it a good shake before using again.
Absolutely. Use whatever berries you have on hand—strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, or raspberries all work beautifully.
Loved everything about this recipe, but was unsure of the fennel. I’ve used it before & it adds a nice texture to the salad, but on it’s own I’m not crazy about it. I loved the berries, arugula & the dressing And I always keep a bag of honey-roasted sliced almonds on hand for salads! So good!
Another good one. Had it lunch and saving the rest for tomorrow’s lunch. Sweetness of the fruit balances the peppery arugula. Didn’t use the lemon slices in the salad cause I used the rest of the meyer lemons in the bag and made lemonade. Yummm!
This was my favorite salad. I loved the dressing- oh so good & pretty too. This one is definitely a keeper!
I had to have hem lettuce instead of arugula. And blackberries instead of raspberries as I couldn’t get them anywhere. This was so tasty and refreshing
What a wonderful summer salad this is. Left out the fennel (I don’t like it at all) but otherwise love all the fruit that is on the salad. Dressing is great – love poppy seed any time! Thank you so much for the recipe. Will be on my favourites list
Great job making this work for you by omitting the fennel!
Sooooo yummm!yummy!
Another winner.
Another great balance of sweet and savory and crunchy. I added extra nuts and beans to make it more filling.
This will definitely become a new go to salad. Love all the berries!
Strawberries make this salad taste so delicious!
Another great salad!
I love the fennel in this salad. I don’t like sweet dressing and therefore omitted the honey. Also, there are too many berries and way too much fat per serving. I suggest removing the cashews and honey from the dressing, reducing the almonds, and removing one of the types of berries from this recipe.
I made this salad today because I was afraid my berries were going bad. I really enjoyed the whole salad, including the dressing. However my son thought it was a bit spicy; I could only think that it was the Arugula.
So fresh and colorful. Poppyseed dressing is a keeper. (We omitted fennel, as my son admitted after the last one that he wasn’t a fan of fennel….. but I love it!)
I made this salad today as I wanted to use up the berries I had bought before they turned bad.
I liked it. Very colorful. I thought the cashew dressing was tasty.
I was concerned that the arugula would over power the berries. I think the cashew dressing kept all the flavors equal.
We really enjoyed this salad. Did not care for the Myers’s lemons, they were really sour, so I’ll skip those next time.
Cannot go wrong here! Nice balance of fruit and veggies to entice anyone to nom on! I love all the colors!
Fruits can be so refreshing in a salad. Def makes it more exciting.
This looks gorgeous! I’ve learned to love fennel and love that it’s on this salad
That’s a lotta love, Erin! Love it!