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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.
Love the combo of berries with the greens and citrus. I used blue and blackberries since I’m allergic to the red berries. Substituted sunflower and pumpkin seeds instead of cashews and almonds. Good mix of textures and flavors.
Delicious, another home run! A little tart and peppery.
Enjoyed the salad. Very refreshing. One I will make again.
I really love the flavor of this salad. The mix of the fruits and veggies is a great blend with the dressing. This is great for lunch and very flavorful.
Yum! One of my favorite! The meyer lemon dressing was so good! The peppery arugula with the fennel and sweet and tart fruit was such a great combo! I did toast the almonds and always like a sprinkle of flaked sea salt and grated pepper on top.
Honestly, didn’t love it but didn’t hate it. The fresh fruit was great and the dressing was tasty. Not a fan of arugula so trying mixed greens next time. It’s light and would be a good side in the summer!
The Strawberry Arugula Salad is a delight! It is so flavorful – simply perfect! I’m definitely putting this in the regular rotation.
Great lunch salad and loved the berry combo! Vinaigrette was lovely and went well with the ingredients❤️
Delicious again! Up there in my top 3 dressings from this challenge and the first poppyseed dressing I’ve ever enjoyed. My wife says this was her favorite out of all of them. Great blend of flavors. I’ve learned I can do a lot with cashew cream.
I and my family once again had another great salad experience!!!! I loved the arugula with the strawberries and the dressing and I love the crunch
This is a refreshing salad another one that will be a great summer favourite
The combinations in this salad encourages me to keep being creative
With my salads
Fruit in a salad is always the best
Love this one
Love this – really enjoyed the extra richness from the cashews in the dressing. I had to skip the strawberries due to an allergy.
This is one of my favorites with blueberries and strawberries
So simple
I did add a few extra ingredients to enhance the color and taste even more.
Love making my salads as colorful as possible!
Bursting with flavors
Love this one
Another great combination of flavours! Since I didn’t have fresh berries I used frozen strawberries and blueberries. My fennel had froze in the fridge so that was icy too. I used a spring mix (that included arugula). I forgot to soak the cashews ahead, so I just ate those on the side and skipped the dressing; although I did squeeze lemon over top. For me, I’d probably just eat this amount of fruit separately, but it was as still fun to try something new.
Great job on trying new things, and making it work!
Love, love, love this salad. Unfortunately, I could not get the dressing smooth, but the flavor was still delicious. I used lemon juice mixed with some orange juice, since I couldn’t find a Meyer lemon. I will definitely make this again!!
Fun salad with a variety of nutrition.