Family Side Dish – Simple Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad with Candied Pecans

This Family Side Dish is a taste sensation, featuring a vibrant mix of flavors and textures. Juicy strawberries bring a burst of natural sweetness, complemented by creamy goat cheese for a luxurious touch. The crunch of candied pecans adds a delightful nutty element, creating a perfect balance.

This simple yet elegant salad is not just a side dish; it’s a symphony of fresh, sweet, and savory notes that will leave your taste buds delighted and your family coming back for more. Even people who aren’t believers in fruit in their salad, love this dish!

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quick Delicious family side dish!

This salad featuring strawberries, candied pecans, arugula, romaine, goat cheese, and poppy seed dressing is a delightful medley of flavors and textures that creates a refreshing and satisfying family side dish.

1. Sweetness of Strawberries: The strawberries provide a burst of natural sweetness, adding a fruity and juicy element to the salad. Their vibrant flavor contrasts with the savory components, contributing a refreshing note.
2. Crunch of Candied Pecans: Candied pecans introduce a delightful crunch and a caramelized sweetness. This not only enhances the overall texture but also brings a rich, nutty undertone to the salad, creating a harmonious balance with the other ingredients.
3. Peppery Arugula: Arugula lends a peppery and slightly bitter flavor that adds depth to the salad. The combination of arugula with the sweetness of strawberries and candied pecans creates a dynamic contrast, pleasing the taste buds with every bite.
4. Crispness of Romaine: Romaine lettuce contributes a crisp and refreshing texture to the salad. Its sturdy leaves provide a satisfying crunch, and the mild flavor acts as a versatile canvas, allowing the other ingredients to shine.
5. Creamy Goat Cheese: The creamy and tangy goat cheese adds a luxurious and velvety texture to the salad. Its richness complements the sweetness of the strawberries and the candied pecans, creating a satisfying and balanced mouthfeel.
6. Zesty Poppy Seed Dressing: The poppy seed dressing serves as the perfect finishing touch, tying all the elements together. Its zesty and slightly sweet notes enhance the overall flavor profile, creating a cohesive and well-rounded taste experience.

The combination of these ingredients results in a salad that is not only visually appealing but also a symphony of flavors—sweet, savory, crunchy, creamy, and zesty—all working together in perfect harmony. This salad is a wonderful choice for a light and refreshing meal, showcasing the beauty of seasonal ingredients and providing a delightful balance of tastes and textures.

Ingredients

• 1 9oz Romaine (or 1-2 heads)
• 1 4oz Container of Plain Goat Cheese Crumbles
• 2 Cups of Baby Arugula
• 1/2 Jar Litehouse Poppyseed Dressing
•  1/2 5.5oz bag Glazed/Candied Pecans
• 1 lb (or about 8-10 medium) Strawberries

How to

1. Cut your strawberries into slices. Typically about 3 slices per strawberry.
2. Optional: Break your pecans into smaller pieces so they blend into the salad more.
3. Combine your romaine and arugula and mix together.
4. Top with goat cheese, pecans & strawberries. (If traveling with this dish, I recommend waiting to put this together until you are about to eat so it doesn’t get soggy)
5. Top with about half of the poppy seed dressing.

SO simple and easy! I love that I can just throw together this salad in less than 5 minutes. It makes it a perfect family side dish or a perfect meal! 

Simple Crowd Pleaser

This recipe is a hit for feeding a crowd. It’s perfect for a Summer side (or a whole dinner) and it’s great for Thanksgiving or Christmas parties! My husband who is an anti fruit in his salad kind of guy absolutely loves this salad. It’s such a simple crowd pleaser!