Fresh, easy salad made with seasonally sweet strawberries and ripe avocado!
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This summer salad recipe is perfect for any get-together, party, or picnic this summer! With some toasted walnuts for an added crunch, this recipe is the perfect blend of savory and sweet flavors!
I’m a big fruit fan, so nothing says summer salad more than adding fruit to regular old salads!
Can this be made vegan/plant-based?
This summer salad recipe can easily be made vegan/plant-based! You can choose to omit the grilled chicken, use agave instead of honey, and use regular mustard instead of Dijon mustard! The recipe will still turn out delicious!
It’s Summer… What’s in season right now?
Summer is typically the time when a LOT of fruits are in season! Take advantage of the warmer weather and try experimenting with new ingredients in different recipes! You’re sure to find a unique combination that you like!
For example, strawberries and tomatoes are often great in the month of July! That’s why I wanted to play around with different fruits in my recipes!
It can be difficult to keep track of what is in season all the time; so, The Spruce Eats compiled a great, comprehensive list of “What’s in season” each month of the year! You can easily print it out and keep it on your fridge!
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Don’t Have Some of the Ingredients?
Here are some great substitutions for ingredients in the recipe!
Walnuts – You can use almonds instead! Both almonds and walnuts go great in this recipe!
Honey – You can easily substitute white sugar or agave!
Baby Heirloom Tomatoes – You can definitely use cherry tomatoes instead!
Coconut Sugar – White sugar will work just as well!
Coconut Oil – You can easily replace this with butter!
Peach Preserves – I used peach preserves because I had it lying around, but you can use any fruit preserve of your choosing! Any fruit jam will also work very well!
Looking for more healthy salad inspiration? You may also like:
–Kale Apple Salad with Tahini Dressing
Summer Strawberry Salad with Avocado
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 5 cups kale chopped
- 5 cups spinach
- 1 cup baby heirloom tomatoes sliced in half
- 2 cups strawberries sliced in quarters
- 1 avocado sliced
- 1½ lb grilled chicken breast sliced
For the toasted walnuts:
- 1½ cup walnuts
- 1½ tbsp coconut sugar
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- ½ tsp vanilla
- ¼ tsp salt
For the dressing:
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp peach preserves or jam
- 2 tsp honey
Instructions
Toasting the walnuts:
- Preheat the oven to 325° Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine the walnuts, coconut sugar, coconut oil, vanilla, and salt in a bowl and mix until all the walnuts are evenly coated.
- Spread the coated walnuts in an even layer onto the baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
- Once the walnuts are done, let them cool at room temperature for about 10 minutes.
Making the salad:
- Add all the dressing ingredients in a bowl and mix until thoroughly combined.
- In a large salad bowl, add the kale, spinach, tomatoes, and strawberries. Drizzle some of the dressing and toss until everything is well coated.
- Top with freshly sliced avocado, grilled chicken, and toasted walnuts.
- Serve and enjoy immediately!
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