Sweeten up your summer salad!
In my opinion, Summer time and salads go together like peanut butter and jelly. They’re cold, refreshing, and full of rich Summer nutrients. There’s one issue though when it comes to making salad. All too often, the recipes get old and boring pretty quickly. Fortunately, this Summer salad with strawberries and candied pecans will make you look forward to eating your greens again.
Sweet and Salty Flavors
Every salad needs layers! What we mean by this is you don’t want to just slather lettuce in dressing and call it a salad. That’s no way to live. A well rounded recipe requires you to think outside the box and combine fun ingredients.
For this salad we used ingredients that just scream, “Summer!” The sweetness from the strawberries, candied pecans, and mandarins, pairs beautifully with the salty feta and peppery kick from the arugula. This salad is one fun way to eat your greens, so much so that even the kids will ask for it!
Add Protein for a More Filling Salad
While this salad is a great recipe for a side dish, you can also eat it as a meal. If you’re looking to make this salad your main course, consider making our Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin to pair with it. This protein compliments the fruity flavors wonderfully. If you’re not a pork fan, you may want to try making these high-protein recipes instead:
- 5-Ingredient Apple Cider Braised Chicken
- 15-Minute Spicy Garlic Ginger Shrimp
- 3-Ingredient Tender Broiled Salmon
- Slow Cooker Everything Beef
- Savory Lemon White Fish Fillets
For more ideas on how to make salads exciting and healthy, read: 11 Tasty Salad Toppings for Weight Loss.
6 Simple Ingredients Combined in Minutes
Salads are one of my favorite meals, not only because they taste amazing, but because they’re ridiculously simple to make too! Combine all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and toss to combine. That’s it!
You may serve this salad with any dressing that you’d like, however we recommend a balsamic dressing. Of course if you have some spare time, the best dressing to pair with this salad is our recipe for White Balsamic Vinaigrette. It only requires 5 ingredients (that you most likely already have in your kitchen,) so you might as well try it out! It’s super light but loaded with flavor and at 61 calories per serving it’s an incredibly low-calorie dressing. Pair the salad with that dressing and you have a meal or side dish that’s just over 200 calories!
Summer Salad with Strawberries and Candied Pecans
Ingredients
- 4 cups spring mix salad or baby spinach and arugula
- 2 cups romaine heart lettuce torn into bite-size pieces
- 11 ounces mandarin oranges in natural juices can, drained
- 1 cup strawberries fresh, sliced
- 1/2 cup pecan halves candied (recipe for Pan Roasted Candied Pecans)
- 1/2 cup feta cheese crumbles fat-free
Instructions
- Combine all the above ingredients in a large salad bowl, toss to combine. Drizzle with your favorite dressing.
- Our recipe for White Balsamic Vinaigrette goes great over this summer salad.
Nutrition Information
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What did you think of this tasty summer salad with strawberries and candied pecans? Be sure to let us know in the comment section, below!
If you enjoyed this salad we think you’ll also want to try:
- Summer Fruit Quinoa Salad Summer Fruit Quinoa Salad
- Thai Chicken Veggie Salad with Peanut Dressing
- Roasted Sweet Potato and Mango Salad
- Spicy Black Bean & Shrimp Salad Recipe
- Cucumber Quinoa Salad With Ground Turkey, Olives, & Feta
For more healthy summer recipes, check out our Facebook page and follow us on Pinterest for tasty recipes, clean eating tips, and healthy lifestyle resources.
This is one of my all-time favorite summer salads! What a great recipe!