This refreshing summer salad highlights all of those juicy summer strawberries and is a delicious side for grilling. Sweet strawberries, creamy mozzarella, and peppery arugula get tossed in a lemony basil dressing and topped with crunchy toasted almonds.
Ingredient highlight
Strawberries! These juicy early summer fruits are packed with fiber, potassium, folate, and vitamin C. They get their red color from anthocyanin, a potent group of antioxidants and also contain a high amount of phenolic antioxidants. They’re also super hydrating because they contain electrolytes and are 91% water.
Servings 4
Prep Time 15 minutes Ingredients
- 4-5 cups loosely packed arugula
- 8 oz strawberries, trimmed/hulled, quartered (about 2 cups)
- 6-8 oz fresh mozzarella, cut into bite-sized pieces (about 1 heaping cup)
- ½ cup toasted almonds, chopped
For the dressing:*
- 1 cup loosely packed basil
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- *If you wanted to simplify this, you could skip the dressing and use my go-to way to dress a salad – toss everything in about 3-4 tbsp lemon juice and ½ teaspoon salt. Taste to see if it tastes pleasantly tangy/salty enough, then add a generous drizzling of good olive oil and toss again. Taste once more and add more salt, lemon, or oil as needed.
- Note: ~ pairs well with a good sausage, grilled steak, Honey Mustard Grilled Chicken, Grilled Chicken Drumsticks with Yogurt Ranch, or Miso Honey Garlic Grilled Chicken.
Instructions
- In a high-speed blender, add all of the dressing ingredients. You may need to use a smaller blender, depending on the size and shape. Blend on high until smooth and emulsified.
- In a large bowl, add the arugula, strawberries, mozzarella, and more basil if you have some. (Only dress as much of the salad that you plan to eat right away.) Pour ⅔ of the dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Add more dressing, to taste.
- Serve topped with almonds and more black pepper.
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Trim/hull and quarter 8 oz strawberries (about 2 cups)
- Cut 6-8 oz fresh mozzarella into bite-sized pieces (about 1 heaping cup)
- Toast and chop ½ cup toasted
- Make the dressing
Substitutions:
- To make dairy-free, use avocado in place of mozzarella
- Any summer fruit can be used in place of strawberries. Try it with peaches!
- Use any lettuce in place of arugula – little gems would be yummy.
Storage:
- Store leftovers separately in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. The salad doesn’t keep well as leftovers, so only dress what you plan to eat.
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- Turn the salad into a farro bowl – add farro to your bowl and toss with arugula, then top with strawbs, mozz, dressing + nuts.
- Make it a fun appetizer or snack skewer – strawberry, mozzarella, and avocado on a toothpick with the dressing for dipping or drizzling over top.
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