Berry Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese
This Berry Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese is a refreshing blend of peppery arugula, tangy goat cheese and sweet, juicy berries. It’s tossed in a bright raspberry vinaigrette dressing to take it over the top!
Years ago my family dubbed me the “salad queen” because I always brought a new, exciting salad with me to our family gatherings.
I immediately embraced my new nickname because I truly do love salads. I eat them every day, and admittedly I do have a knack for creating new ones based on what I have in my fridge.
I’m guilty of overbuying fresh berries this time of year (they’re on sale!), so they do end up in my salads a lot.
My strawberry spinach salad and kale cherry salad recipes are great ways to incorporate them, but this Berry Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese is just brimming with berry goodness.
The peppery arugula and tangy goat cheese pairs so well with the combination of sweet, juicy berries, and the colors truly make this salad come alive.
The salad includes crunchy walnuts, chewy dried cranberries and a vibrant raspberry vinaigrette dressing that makes this one of the best summer salad recipes ever.
Take it from the salad queen. 🙂
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Berry, arugula and goat cheese salad is brimming with sweet, juicy berries and it’s tossed in a vibrant raspberry dressing.
- It’s a refreshing, flavorful summer salad that’s easy enough for busy weeknights and special enough for summer entertaining.
- It can be customized with your favorite combination of berries, dressing and more based on your personal preferences.
Recipe ingredients
- Arugula. I don’t recommend substituting the arugula with another type of lettuce as I feel that it was made for this salad. That said, if you absolutely cannot stand it, baby spinach, baby kale, or spring mix lettuce would the best substitutes.
- Berries. Strawberries, blackberries and blueberries make a lovely combination of flavors and colors in this salad. You can certainly use any combination of berries that you prefer.
- Goat cheese. The goat cheese adds creaminess and a tangy flavor that really complements the other ingredients. Feta cheese is the best substitute.
- Walnuts. The toasted walnuts adds a great crunchy texture and added nutrition. Sub with pecans, almonds or sunflower seeds if you have a nut allergy.
- Dried cranberries. Adds tart flavor and chewy texture. Omit entirely if you don’t have any on hand.
- Dressing. The raspberry vinaigrette dressing adds a burst of fresh raspberry flavor that just keeps the berry goodness going. It can be substituted with balsamic vinaigrette dressing, red wine vinaigrette or your favorite store bought dressing.
How to make arugula goat cheese salad
This arugula goat cheese salad is extremely easy to make. Simply toast the walnuts, prep the dressing and pop all of your ingredients in a serving bowl.
Once dressed, the salad is best enjoyed immediately.
Pro tip: Toast the walnuts and prep the dressing up to 1-2 days in advance to make prep go even more quickly.
See the recipe card for full instructions.
- Toast the walnuts in a large skillet over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, stirring often, until golden brown and fragrant.
- Place the arugula, berries, dried cranberries, goat cheese and walnuts in a large bowl.
- Drizzle the raspberry dressing over the top and toss gently to coat.
Recipe FAQs
Arugula has a peppery flavor that pairs perfectly with the other ingredients in this salad. However, if you don’t care for arugula, baby spinach, baby kale and spring mix lettuce are the best substitutes.
The walnuts and dressing can be prepared up to 1-2 days in advance, but for best results do not assemble the salad until just before serving.
Once the salad is dressed, it’s best to enjoy it immediately as it will become soggy very quickly.
Serving suggestions
This summer arugula salad can be served a number of ways as listed below.
- Serve it as a side dish at your next cookout alongside grilled bbq chicken or grilled tomahawk steak.
- It’s great for busy weeknights topped with air fryer chicken breast or air fryer shrimp.
Recipe notes
- Pro tip: Toast the walnuts and prep the dressing up to 1-2 days in advance to make prep go even more quickly.
- This berry arugula salad is a great way to utilize fresh berries. Use any combination — there’s no wrong answer!
- The salad is best enjoyed the day that it’s made.
More salad recipes you’ll love
Did you try this recipe? If so, be sure to leave a review below and tag me @flavorthemoments on Facebook and Instagram
Berry Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup walnut pieces
- 5 ounces baby arugula
- 1/2 cup blueberries
- 1/2 cup blackberries halved
- 1/2 cup strawberries halved or sliced
- ½ cup crumbled goat cheese sub with feta cheese if desired
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
- raspberry vinaigrette dressing or your favorite store bought
Instructions
- Toast the walnuts in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring often, for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown and fragrant. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.1/2 cup walnut pieces
- Place the arugula, berries, goat cheese, dried cranberries and walnuts in a large bowl. Add the desired amount of dressing and toss gently to coat. Serve immediately and enjoy!5 ounces baby arugula, 1/2 cup blueberries, 1/2 cup blackberries, 1/2 cup strawberries, ½ cup crumbled goat cheese, 1/3 cup dried cranberries, raspberry vinaigrette dressing
Notes
- Pro tip: Toast the walnuts and prep the dressing up to 1-2 days in advance to make prep go even more quickly.
- This berry arugula salad is a great way to utilize fresh berries. Use any combination — there’s no wrong answer!
- The nutrition information for this arugula salad with goat cheese recipe does not include the dressing as it has been calculated in a separate post.
- The salad is best enjoyed the day that it’s made.
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
38 Comments on “Berry Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese”
I’m not even lying when I say this is exactly the kind of salad I make regularly! Goat cheese, pecans, berries and hearty greens. It’s PERFECT! Great job, salad queen!!
Thank you Katherine! Aren’t these flavors just too good?
Beautiful salad. It looks like a mountain of jewels with summer berries. And I particularly love your raspberry balsamic vinaigrette
Thanks so much Balvinder! It’s such a great way to enjoy berries. 🙂
You know how much I loooooove a good salad, and guuuurl, you know how to rock some stellar salads! Even though I KNOW you can cook, I’m still going to dub you the salad queen… mmmmkay? 😉 This salad looks BERRY delicious, Marcie! I’m loving everything about it, from the goat cheese and berries to the arugula and raspberry balsamic vinaigrette! ALL SOOOO YUM! Can’t wait to try this! Cheers, dear!
Thank you so much Cheyanne…this means a lot coming from you! You’re a true salad queen! 🙂
LOVE berries (and goat cheese!) in my salad! I could go for a huge bowl of this right now; I’m a salad all day kind of girl. But I sort of can’t believe you were ever NOT a fabulous cook!
Ahh you are so sweet but it’s totally true! 🙂
Yuuuuum! I could eat a salad like this daily! Love fresh berries and homemade vinaigrette! Your photos are gorgeous! I can see why this is a recipe you’d enjoy re-visiting time and again!
Thanks so much Julia! 🙂
I am definitely the salad queen too, I could eat one for just about every meal! And I love arugula! I can eat it plain because of the peppery taste, it’s just too good. But this berry salad with your vinaigrette sounds wonderful, Marcie! Wishing I had this for lunch today!
Arugula is one of my favorites and I love eating it plain too! Thanks so much Gayle!