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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! Winners announced each season in my newsletter.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.
Very fresh salad. I will probably use less fruit next time.
Thanks for trying it and for your feedback. We’d like to hear us know how you liked it after that change.
Good summer salad!
So tasty, cool, and fresh! Thanks for trying it.
Strawberry Arugula Salad
I was really looking forward to this salad. Unfortunately, I found the salad dressing disappointing. The fennel with the orange and berries was a toothsome combination. I couldn’t find any Meyer lemons, so I used regular lemons. I tried adding a little more honey, but the flavor was still not up to my taste. I guess I was expecting the same flavor as the Kale Caesar salad which I love. I will try that dressing on this salad next time.
Sorry this one didn’t suit your taste. Thanks for the feedback.
Salad was good, but loved the dressing!
Glad you liked it. We love it, too.
While this is not my new favorite salad, I do think I’ll save the dressing recipe though!
Everyone likes different flavors… for us this had a tad too much fruit for our preference, but if you enjoy fruit on your salad, you would probably love it!
Thanks for the feedback, Lesley. Glad you liked the dressing.
I preferred the more savory salads, but this one was a good way to get in your greens and berries.
Yes, berries are a great source of vitamin C, B6, K, potassium, and manganese.
Sweet & peppery, creamy and delightful! I love this salad. The dressing is just delicious and really takes it over the top for me.
We’re so glad you like it, Allison.
This recipe is so rawkin’ fresh! It is so easy to assemble, and versatile with substitutions. I realized I snacked on the raspberries earlier in the week and didn’t have for this recipe. It was still colorful and delicious!
Thanks for the feedback, Dawn! Keep rawkin’ it.
I love that this salad has a recipe for salad dressing
I can make it from scratch and the poppy seeds give it a pop and I can use it as a sauce for meat
I know have so many options for salads
It’s not just lettuce with tomatoes
Thank you
You’re so welcome. There are some super tasty salad options.
This is an amazing salad and so, so easy to make — no chopping!! The combination of flavors is incredibly unique. Serve this at a dinner party and your friends will think you are a culinary genius. A definite keeper!!!
A party sounds like a plan to me! Thanks for taking the time to post a comment.
So good! I loved the combination of the arugula and fennel with the berries and orange. So fresh and different! The dressing complimented everything perfectly. So much better than the store bought poppyseed dressing
We love that you liked it so much. And yes, fresh dressing is the best. Keep rawking it!
Absolutely delicious! This is the best one yet! Can you tell I like sweets? I used Romaine instead of Arugula (because my refrigerator isn’t working & I wanted to use up what I had), blackberries instead of raspberries because of oxalate, left out the fennel because expensive and the almonds because of oxalate, used lemon juice/maple syrup dressing and used hemp seeds instead of poppy seeds.
Way to pivot to make it work for you, Stephanie.