30-Minute Easter Salad with Goat Cheese

If you ask me, springtime salads deserve a spot on your Easter table.

This fresh and colorful salad brings together sweet strawberries, creamy goat cheese, and toasted almonds for a nice mix of flavors. The crisp greens get dressed up with a simple lemon-honey dressing that’s tangy and just a bit sweet.

It comes together with poppy seeds and a hint of dill for extra flavor. The creamy Montchevre goat cheese adds a rich touch that balances out the bright fruit.

It’s an easy side dish that works well for holiday gatherings or any weekend meal when you want something light and refreshing.

What Kind of Goat Cheese Should I Use?

For this salad, you’ll want to use a fresh, soft goat cheese that crumbles easily – the kind that comes in a log wrapped in plastic at the grocery store. Avoid aged or hard goat cheeses since they won’t break apart nicely over your greens. If you’re not a huge fan of goat cheese’s tangy flavor, look for a milder variety or consider mixing it with a little cream cheese to tone it down. You can also substitute feta cheese if goat cheese isn’t your thing, though it will give the salad a slightly different flavor profile.

Options for Substitutions

This fresh salad is easy to customize based on what you have in your kitchen:

• Almonds: Walnuts, pecans, or candied nuts work great here. You can also use toasted pine nuts or sunflower seeds for a different crunch.
• Goat cheese: If goat cheese isn’t your thing, try crumbled feta or blue cheese for that tangy kick. For a milder option, use shaved parmesan or fresh mozzarella.
• Strawberries: When strawberries aren’t in season, swap them with fresh blueberries, raspberries, or sliced peaches. Dried cranberries also work if you want something shelf-stable.
• Mixed greens: Any salad greens will do – arugula, spinach, romaine, or butter lettuce all work well. Just pick your favorite.
• Sunflower oil: Olive oil, avocado oil, or grapeseed oil make good substitutes. Just keep in mind that olive oil has a stronger flavor.
• Honey: Maple syrup or agave nectar can replace honey in equal amounts if you need a different sweetener.
• Poppy seeds: If you don’t have poppy seeds, sesame seeds work fine, or you can simply leave them out without affecting the overall taste.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake when toasting almonds is walking away from the oven – they can go from perfectly golden to burnt in less than a minute, so set a timer and check them at the 5-minute mark.

Another common error is adding the dressing too early, which causes your greens to wilt and become limp, so always wait until right before serving to toss everything together.

To keep your goat cheese from turning into a crumbly mess, make sure it’s cold when you add it to the salad, and consider breaking it into larger chunks rather than small crumbles for better texture.

Finally, taste your vinaigrette before pouring it over the salad – depending on how sweet your strawberries are, you might need to adjust the honey or lemon juice to get the right balance.

What to Serve With Easter Salad?

This salad is pretty filling on its own with the goat cheese and almonds, but it pairs beautifully with grilled chicken or salmon if you want to make it a complete meal. I love serving it alongside a simple quiche or frittata for a spring brunch, since the sweet strawberries and tangy dressing complement egg dishes really well. For a lighter option, some warm crusty bread or buttery croissants on the side are perfect for soaking up any extra dressing. If you’re hosting a bigger gathering, this salad works great as a side dish with roasted lamb, ham, or even a simple pasta dish.

Storage Instructions

Store Components: This salad is best enjoyed fresh, but you can prep the ingredients ahead of time. Keep the washed greens in a container lined with paper towels for up to 3 days, and store the dressing separately in a jar in the fridge for up to a week. The sliced strawberries and crumbled goat cheese can be prepped a day ahead too.

Dress Before Serving: Don’t toss the salad with dressing until you’re ready to eat it, or the greens will get wilted and soggy. If you have leftover dressed salad, it won’t keep well, so try to only dress what you’ll eat right away.

Make Ahead: You can toast the almonds and whisk together the poppy seed dressing up to 3 days in advance. Just give the dressing a good shake before using since the oil and lemon juice might separate a bit while sitting in the fridge.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 1700-1850
• Protein: 37-44 g
• Fat: 130-145 g
• Carbohydrates: 100-115 g

Ingredients

For the salad:

• 1.25 cups almonds (toasted and sliced for the best crunch)
• 12 oz mixed greens
• 16 oz strawberries (hulled and sliced into 1/4-inch rounds)
• 5 oz goat cheese (I use Montchevre for its creamy texture)

For the vinaigrette:

• 1/3 cup sunflower oil
• 6 tbsp lemon juice (freshly squeezed for brighter acidity)
• 3 tbsp honey (I recommend SueBee clover honey)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp poppy seeds
• 1/4 tsp dried dill

Step 1: Toast the Almonds

• 1.25 cups almonds

Preheat your oven to 350°F.

Spread the sliced almonds in an even layer on a baking sheet and toast for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring halfway through, until they’re fragrant and lightly golden.

Remove from the oven and let them cool completely on the baking sheet—this is crucial because they’ll continue to crisp up as they cool and won’t burn.

I like to toast my almonds right at the start so they’re ready to go while I prepare everything else.

Step 2: Prepare the Strawberries and Make the Dressing

• 16 oz strawberries
• 1/3 cup sunflower oil
• 6 tbsp lemon juice
• 3 tbsp honey
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp poppy seeds
• 1/4 tsp dried dill

While the almonds cool, hull and slice the strawberries into 1/4-inch rounds, being careful to preserve their juices.

In a separate bowl or jar, whisk together the sunflower oil, lemon juice, honey, salt, black pepper, poppy seeds, and dried dill until fully emulsified and smooth.

The honey will take a moment to dissolve, so whisk steadily for about 30 seconds.

For maximum brightness, I always use fresh lemon juice rather than bottled—it makes a noticeable difference in the final flavor.

Step 3: Assemble and Dress the Salad

• 12 oz mixed greens
• sliced strawberries from Step 2
• cooled toasted almonds from Step 1
• 5 oz goat cheese
• poppy seed vinaigrette from Step 2

Place the mixed greens in a large serving bowl, then add the sliced strawberries from Step 2, the cooled toasted almonds from Step 1, and crumble the goat cheese over the top.

Pour the poppy seed vinaigrette from Step 2 over the salad and gently toss everything together just before serving, making sure the dressing coats all the greens evenly.

I recommend tossing right before serving to keep the greens crisp and prevent them from becoming wilted.

30-Minute Easter Salad with Goat Cheese

Delicious 30-Minute Easter Salad with Goat Cheese recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Servings 6 servings

Calories 1775 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the salad::

• 1.25 cups almonds (toasted and sliced for the best crunch)
• 12 oz mixed greens
• 16 oz strawberries (hulled and sliced into 1/4-inch rounds)
• 5 oz goat cheese (I use Montchevre for its creamy texture)

For the vinaigrette::

• 1/3 cup sunflower oil
• 6 tbsp lemon juice (freshly squeezed for brighter acidity)
• 3 tbsp honey (I recommend SueBee clover honey)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp poppy seeds
• 1/4 tsp dried dill

Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 350°F. Spread the sliced almonds in an even layer on a baking sheet and toast for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring halfway through, until they're fragrant and lightly golden. Remove from the oven and let them cool completely on the baking sheet—this is crucial because they'll continue to crisp up as they cool and won't burn. I like to toast my almonds right at the start so they're ready to go while I prepare everything else.
• While the almonds cool, hull and slice the strawberries into 1/4-inch rounds, being careful to preserve their juices. In a separate bowl or jar, whisk together the sunflower oil, lemon juice, honey, salt, black pepper, poppy seeds, and dried dill until fully emulsified and smooth. The honey will take a moment to dissolve, so whisk steadily for about 30 seconds. For maximum brightness, I always use fresh lemon juice rather than bottled—it makes a noticeable difference in the final flavor.
• Place the mixed greens in a large serving bowl, then add the sliced strawberries from Step 2, the cooled toasted almonds from Step 1, and crumble the goat cheese over the top. Pour the poppy seed vinaigrette from Step 2 over the salad and gently toss everything together just before serving, making sure the dressing coats all the greens evenly. I recommend tossing right before serving to keep the greens crisp and prevent them from becoming wilted.