Nothing rings in Springtime like strawberries, fennel and arugula. I originally created this strawberry arugula salad for my cookbook, Simple Green Meals, and it is definitely a favorite. This gorgeous strawberry arugula salad is as delicious as it is beautiful. Topped with a unique lemon vinaigrette, this rockstar salad is for you.

strawberry arugula salad in a large white bowl next to a white cup of salad dressing.

While this salad recipe may contain a few plants you aren’t familiar with, give it a try! These were new to me at one time too, and I got to discover just how incredible they are. Trust me.

Table of Contents
  1. The Best Salad Ingredients
  2. Strawberry Arugula Salad Recipe
  3. Easy Ingredient Swaps
  4. Strawberry Salad FAQs
  5. More Leafy Salad Recipes
  6. Strawberry Arugula Salad Recipe

The Best Salad Ingredients

ingredients for strawberry lemon arugula salad in black writing and white text boxes including arugula, lemon, orange, almonds, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries and fennel.

This strawberry arugula salad will leave you feeling great inside and out. The rawkstar ingredient list includes antioxidant-rich fruits, peppery leafy greens and a beautifully creamy salad dressing.

  • Arugula– This leafy green is in the same family as kale, broccoli and brussels sprouts, with the same powerful health benefits.
  • Fennel– A super-fiber bulb that is lightly licorice-flavored and crunchy.
  • Orange– A vitamin C powerhouse.
  • Berries– All the berries in this arugula salad are bursting with antioxidants that fight cancer, aid in cell repair and taste heavenly.
  • Meyer lemon– Lemons can help lower blood sugar through their pectin.

Strawberry Arugula Salad Recipe

fresh, homemade dressing to top a homemade salad on a white plate.

For an extra creamy dressing, 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 :-).

fennel, lemon and arugula in white bowls.

Easy Ingredient Swaps

While Meyer lemons are definitely preferred (they have the best flavor) in this strawberry arugula salad, you *can* swap them out for regular lemons. Just know they will be tarter and smaller. You can swap fennel for white 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.

fruit and fennel salad with raspberries, strawberries, lemon, oranges and sliced almonds.

Strawberry Salad FAQs

What goes well with arugula?

Arugula typically has a stronger, peppery flavor. I like to pair it with lighter, sweeter ingredients like berries as well as tangy fruit like oranges.

What dressing is best on a strawberry arugula salad?

My Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette is the perfect pairing for this salad. It’s sweet, tangy and creamy.

How long does a strawberry arugula salad stay fresh?

If you mix up this salad without the dressing it can keep up to 48 hours in the fridge. For the best results though, I recommend eating it right away.

More Leafy Salad Recipes

Salad lovers unite over these decadent recipes. If you’re looking for new salad inspiration then I’ve got you covered. I like a beautiful plate, and that’s exactly what you’ll find in these recipes:

Don’t forget to let me know how you like my strawberry arugula salad below with a rating + review! It’s got many of my favorite fruits and veggies, so I hope you love it too.

4.68 from 128 votes

Strawberry Arugula Salad

This gorgeous strawberry arugula salad is as delicious as it is beautiful. Topped with a unique Meyer Lemon vinaigrette, this rockstar salad is for you. It tastes like bright sunshine.
Prep: 10 minutes
Total: 10 minutes
Author: Jen Hansard
Course: Entree, Salad
Cuisine: Plant-Based
Serves: 2

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 for 1 to 4 hours
  • 2 tbsp Meyer lemon juiced
  • 1.5 tsp honey
  • ¼ tsp sea salt
  • dash ground black pepper
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1.5 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

  • 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

Calories: 488kcal, Carbohydrates: 41g, Protein: 12g, Fat: 35g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g, Monounsaturated Fat: 22g, Trans Fat: 1g, Sodium: 336mg, Potassium: 952mg, Fiber: 12g, Sugar: 20g, Vitamin A: 1213IU, Vitamin C: 89mg, Calcium: 253mg, Iron: 4mg
Tried this recipe? Show me!Mention @SimpleGreenSmoothies or tag #SimpleGreenSmoothies!

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Comments

  1. So delicious. Everyone took seconds. We loved the contrast of the berries with the arugula. We’ll definitely add this to our rotation!

    1. 5 stars
      This salad is so refreshing with the orange, lemon, and berries. I would definitely make this again. And I’m sold on cashews to make a dressing!

  2. 4 stars
    I did like this salad even though arugula is not my favorite. I get it now though; it needs to be combined with sweeter foods to balance it out. The dressing was very good. My husband ate a lot of it. That’s a win for me!

    1. Yes, SCORE! It’s always nice with the husband likes it as well!

  3. 5 stars
    What a delightful way to finish this challenge. Great way to use my new salad favorites one more day.

  4. 5 stars
    A delectable salad, full of yummy berries, citrus, and almond and fennel (love!) crunch. We really liked the dressing, a perfect match. This salad is so versatile that it could be made with literally any green, but we liked the peppery arugula to go with the sweet of the fruit. I can see us making this often when berries are in season in NC.

  5. 5 stars
    This was so good. The different flavors, sweet mixed with sour and savory arugula melded so well. By far our favorite.

  6. 5 stars
    Sweet, the fruit, the crunch and dressing pulled it all together. and so good! Day 10 of the challenge! Ready to keep doing more.

  7. 4 stars
    The strawberry arugula salad looked real pretty, especially because I added a strawberry to the dressing. I think that might’ve been a big mistake because the dressing wasn’t very good and the ingredients looked like it would be. I like the combination of the berries with the Meyer lemon and the sliced almonds. I’m afraid my arugula might’ve been a little old because it was tough and didn’t give the salad the best chance it might’ve had. I’ll try it again some other day. In the meantime, it was a nice healthy combination of things.

  8. 5 stars
    Loved this salad!! The variety of textures and flavors made it very satisfying. The crunch of the fennel with the juicy berries and the spicy bitterness of the arugula all tied together with the creamy dressing was so enjoyable! Will make again!

  9. Salad Challenge: Day 10. Another winner! The dressing was deliciously sweet and creamy, but next time I would a touch of extra liquid to help it drizzle more easily. My husband expressed disappointment that this is the last day of the challenge. He’d be happy if I repeated it all. I enjoyed having most of the meal decided upon for me, which made up for the veggie and dressing preparation time. Glad we embarked on this challenge.

    1. Whoo hoo! You guys totally RAWKED it! Thank you so much for participating and for all of the feedback!

  10. 4 stars
    I’m normally not a fan of fruit in salad but this was really good! Next time I would prob use a little less fruit. The dressing was delicious!

  11. 5 stars
    A great salad that reminds me of summertime. The dressing is a delicious addition. You can put in any berries you have.

  12. 5 stars
    Great salad. I enjoy mixing fruits and veggies for a fuller meal. The dressing was yummy but I’ve liked all your dressings. I used arugula & some other leftover greens which was fine. I’m finding it easier to mix in leftover veggies now! Thanks