Strawberry Walnut and Feta Salad
Salads are so refreshing in the summer and this strawberry walnut and feta salad is the perfect summer salad. I hope you are not weirded out by the fact that it has strawberries in it. If you haven’t had a savory salad with fruit in it, I promise it is not as weird as it seems. Besides tomatoes are fruits and we use them all the time in savory dishes so keep that in mind!
The sweetness from the strawberries and dried cranberries, the hearty crunch from the walnuts and the tang from the crumbly feta cheese along with the spring mix and cucumbers then tossed in an oregano “infused” red wine vinaigrette (wow it sounds so fancy) all blend together nicely to make one delicious, summery salad full of texture. Are you convinced now that this is going to be good?
When making this, keep in mind that this salad is very flexible. If you want to put more or less of any ingredient, go for it. I did not measure anything myself while making it, these are all estimates. As for the vinaigrette, you may or may not notice, but my ratio of vinegar to oil is 1 part to 2 parts but typically vinaigrettes have a ratio of 1 part vinegar to 3 parts oil. I do mine this way because I like a really tangy vinaigrette. If you want to stay true to a typical vinaigrette ratio, use 3/4 cup of olive oil instead of 1/2 a cup.
Just in case it is not clear from the recipe, do not go pouring all the vinaigrette into the salad. Drizzle and mix until you are satisfied with the amount of dressing on your salad. If you plan on storing some of the salad for another day, drizzle the vinaigrette only on what will be eaten immediately so the leaves don’t wilt. Ok, I think that’s all you need to know. Now delve into the recipe below.
Strawberry Walnut and Feta Salad (and Red Wine Vinaigrette)
This recipe yields 4 to 6 servings
Red Wine Vinaigrette Ingredients
- 2-3 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 large garlic clove minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (or 3/4 cup based on notes above)
Strawberry Walnut and Feta Salad Ingredients
- 6 cups spring mix
- 2 cups strawberries sliced
- 2 cups cucumbers thinly sliced
- 1 cup feta cheese
- 1/2 cup walnuts
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
Method
In a bowl, whisk together honey, mustard, garlic, salt, black pepper, oregano and vinegar. Add olive oil and whisk until fully emulsified.
In a large bowl, mix together spring mix, strawberries, cucumbers, feta cheese, dried cranberries and walnuts. Drizzle with the red wine vinaigrette to taste and store what’s leftover in the refrigerator (whisk vinaigrette again before drizzling if it starts to separate). Toss the salad until it is completely coated in the vinaigrette. Serve and enjoy!
