This Strawberry Arugula Salad is as fresh and vibrant as spring itself—peppery arugula, crisp fennel, juicy berries, and crunchy almonds all tossed in a silky Meyer lemon vinaigrette. It’s light, nourishing, and bursting with flavor, making it the perfect way to celebrate warmer days.
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.