Strawberry Feta Salad

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

It’s a twist on a Greek salad. What’s there not to love about tomatoes, cucumbers, olives and feta? They are one of the special ingredient combinations that sum up summer. Here I skip the tomatoes and olives and use strawberries.

Fruit in salads is incredible, and I am not talking about fruit salads. I am a big fan of savory dishes that incorporate sweet ingredients too because you can create this wonderful balance of the two. Berries and stone fruit are the best for this.

This is a no-lettuce salad that’s great for potlucks and picnics. I consider myself a salad person. While I would never fully turn my back on leafy greens, they are not a requirement for every salad you make. Also, they keep their texture and bite and don’t have the potential to wilt like lettuce salads do.

The Ingredients

This is what you need:

• Strawberries: Lately, I have been finding that the sizes of strawberries at the grocery can range from very big to small. Keep in mind that smaller strawberries tend to be sweeter. First, use a paring knife to hull the them. Then cut the smaller ones in half and quarter the larger berries. 
• Cucumbers: The recipe calls for Persian cucumbers, also known as mini cucumbers. Besides their smaller diameter and shorter length, they have less seeds and their skin is more delicate than regular cucumbers. You can substitute with English cucumbers. 
• Feta: Instead of buying crumbled feta cheese, I buy it in a block. Then I cut it into cubes. Love those big bites of feta with the strawberries and cucumbers. If you don’t like feta, torn fresh mozzarella is a more mild option. Then this recipe would take inspiration from both a caprese salad and a Greek salad.
• Red onions are so tasty in salads. You can use a sharp knife or a mandolin to thinly slice them.
• Walnuts: Toast the nuts in a 350-degree F oven for 5-7 minutes to maximize their flavor. You can use almonds instead of walnuts.
• Parsley is my choice for fresh herbs. Fresh basil leaves or fresh dill are also great options. You can use a mix too.
• Balsamic vinaigrette: The dressing is made with minced garlic, whole grain mustard, a touch of honey, salt, black pepper, balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil.

Optional Additions

If you want, you can make one or more of the following additions:

• Chickpeas
• Diced avocados
• Arugula or baby spinach
• Quinoa, barley or farro
• Fusilli or penne pasta

How To Make This Strawberry Feta Salad

1. Combine the salad ingredients in a large bowl. That includes the strawberries, cucumbers, red onions, feta, walnuts and fresh parsley.

2. Make the vinaigrette. Whisk together the garlic, mustard, honey, salt, pepper, balsamic vinegar and olive oil in a small bowl.

3. Pour the vinaigrette into the salad. Stir everything together until the salad is well combined with the dressing.

Serving

This strawberry cucumber salad is a side dish that you can serve with vegetarian main dishes such as barbecue tofu veggie skewers or grilled tofu shawarma. I love it with grilled and roasted recipes. Also, pair it with pastas such as sun dried tomato pesto gnocchi, fresh herb pappardelle or arugula pesto pasta. 

Leftovers & Storage

You can store the salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days. The strawberries will soften, and the cucumbers and onions will lose some of their crispness the longer they sit. It helps to pour the salad dressing that collects in the bowl into a separate container from the salad leftovers. Then the salad will have a better chance to keep more of its crunch.

Recipe Tips

You can make the vinaigrette in advance, but wait to slice the strawberries and cucumbers. Store the dressing in a mason jar or another airtight container in the refrigerator up to 2 days. Let it sit out at room temperature for 15 minutes before using it, because the oil will likely harden in the fridge.

Cut the feta into cubes when the cheese is cold. Overall feta is a more crumbly cheese. For this salad, I prefer cubes to crumbles. It is easier to cut it cleanly when it is cold. 

You can turn this into a grain salad or a pasta salad by adding quinoa, barley or farro. Try short pasta shapes such as penne or fusilli.

More Salad Recipes

Asian Cucumber Salad
Chickpea Cucumber Salad
Mediterranean Bean Salad
Green Bean Salad with Tomatoes and Olives
Roasted Bell Pepper Salad
Zucchini Ribbon Salad
Fresh Corn Tomato Salad