This Berry Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese recipe combines baby arugula with a mix of fresh berries, cucumber, some bits of apple and walnuts and honey goat cheese, and then it’s all tossed in a delicious homemade strawberry vinaigrette. 

A white platter filled with Arugula Berry Salad. A pair of salad servers and salad plates sit next to the platter.

Nothing says “summer” like a big fresh fruit salad.  This Berry Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese is  a crowd-pleasing potluck, beach gathering, outdoor barbecue, picnic kind of salad to serve up for your next warm weather bash.

A white platter filled with greens and fruit. A pair of servers sits next to the platter.

This salad is fresh, light and delicious and it screams of summer!

Berry Arugula Salad Recipe

This is the easiest salad to pull together! 

  • Arugula. We use organic baby arugula for this recipe. 
  • Fruit. We toss in a mix of fresh blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and apple, which gives this salad a bright fresh flavor.
  • Cucumber. We use English cucumber for this recipe, which adds a nice crunch to the mix. 
  • Nuts. We toss in walnuts (raw or roasted).
  • Cheese. We sprinkle in a little honey goat cheese (which I get at Mother’s Market). This adds a nice creaminess to this salad. 
  • Herbs. We use both fresh basil and mint leaves in this salad which adds another layer of flavor. So good!
  • Dressing. This salad is tossed with a really tasty Strawberry Dressing.

Find printable recipe with the measurements below.

Variations

  • Dressing. We use homemade Strawberry Vinaigrette for this salad, but you could also use our Honey Lime DressingBalsamic VinaigretteHoney Lemon Dressing, Healthy Citrus Vinaigrette or this simple Lemon Olive Oil Dressing.
  • Nuts. Toss in pecans, sliced almonds, chopped Marcona almonds or pistachios instead of waluts.
  • Cheese. Instead of honey goat cheese, you can use Feta instead or leave the cheese out altogether.
  • Berries.We use a mix of blueberries, raspberries and blackberries for this salad, but you could use all strawberries, all raspberries or all blueberries instead.

Three white plates filled with greens and fruit. Three forks sit next to the plates.

How To Make Arugula Salad With Berries

  1. Blend Dressing. Add all the ingredients for the dressing to a blender and blend until you have a smooth consistency. 
  2. Prep Ingredients. Rinse and spin arugula and gently rinse the berries under cold water. Chop and slice the apple and cucumber. 
  3. Assemble Salad. Add the arugula, berries, cucumber and apple slices and walnuts to a large bowl and toss. Drizzle the dressing around the bowl and toss the salad. Sprinkle in the fresh chopped herbs and honey goat cheese and toss again. Enjoy!

Two white plates filled with Arugula Berry Salad. Three forks sit next to the plate.

Tips For Making A Great Arugula Berry Salad

  • Chill salad and dressing separately before serving so everything is crisp and nice a cold.
  • Toss the salad with dressing just before serving.
  • Add in the fresh herbs and goat cheese after the salad has been tossed with dressing first so they don’t become weighted down by the dressing. After you add in the herbs and cheese, give it a quick gentle toss then serve.

Can I Make This Salad Ahead Of Time?

You can make the dressing 1-2 days ahead of time keeping it stored in the refrigerator.  This salad is best if it is prepared just before serving because raspberries are delicate and can become soft and mushy, and cut apple turns brown if it is cut ahead of time. To help prevent sliced apple from turning brown, you can drizzle lemon juice over the slices.

How To Store It

If stored properly in an airtight container in the refrigerator, this salad can last for one day if it’s already been tossed with the dressing. If it hasn’t already been tossed with dressing, then it may last up to 2-3 days in the refrigerator.  The dressing will break the berries down and they will soften and not be very appetizing to consume.

A close up of Arugula Berry Salad - a mix of arugula, cucumber slices, chopped apple, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, walnuts and fresh basil and mint.

Looking For More Summer Salad Recipes?

A white platter filled with Arugula Berry Salad. A pair of salad servers and salad plates sit next to the platter.
Yield: 8 servings

Berry Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes

This Berry Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese recipe combines baby arugula with a mix of fresh berries, cucumber, some bits of apple and walnuts and honey goat cheese, and then it's all tossed in a delicious homemade strawberry vinaigrette. 

Ingredients

  • 4 cups of baby arugula
  • 2 cups mixed berries (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries)
  • 1 medium-sized apple, cut into bite-size pieces
  • 1/2 cup raw walnuts
  • 1/4 cup honey goat cheese

For the Strawberry Vinaigrette

  • 1-1/2 cups fresh strawberries, cored and sliced in half
  • 1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 cup light olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons pure clover honey
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cracked pepper
  • 3 Basil leaves, chopped, optional

Instructions

  1. Rinse and spin arugula and gently rinse the berries under cold water. Chop and slice the apple and cucumber. 
  2. Add the arugula, berries, cucumber and apple slices and walnuts to a large bowl and toss.
  3. Drizzle the dressing around the bowl and gently toss the salad.
  4. Sprinkle in the fresh chopped basil and mint and the honey goat cheese and gently toss again.

For the Strawberry Vinaigrette

  1. Add the ingredients (except the basil) to a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. If adding the basil, finely chop the leaves and stir into the dressing.
  2. Transfer dressing to an airtight container and refrigerate up to an hour before serving so the flavors have a chance to blend together.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 272Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 156mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 3gSugar: 21gProtein: 3g

theharvestkitchen.com attempts to provide accurate information, however, this nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. The nutritional information provided comes from online sources and calculations. See full disclaimer on About page.