This Strawberry and Avocado Salad with Ginger Lime Vinaigrette is a light and summery salad that’s perfect for a family celebration, light meal, or side salad for that warm-weather picnic or gathering.
With tangy dressing and bursts of sweetness, this salad has a bright feel that’s also super satiating from the creamy avocado and hearty chickpeas.
There’s nothing like a seasonal, fresh salad with loads of texture and flavor when the warm weather hits. This Strawberry and Avocado Salad was a fun treat this weekend — quite spontaneous when I spotted a container of strawberries near the back of the fridge just before lunchtime. It was perfect timing, as I was craving something light to eat while sitting outside in the backyard.
Given my (usually bad) luck with fridge produce though, I was fully expecting that the vast majority of the strawberry package would be moldy. It’s just so sad that strawberries turn so quickly! To my utter joy, only 1 strawberry had turned bad, so I rejoiced inside and then set out to make this salad with some ingredients I had on hand.
OTHER DELICIOUS SALADS
Citrus and Avocado Watercress Salad
Mediterranean Pasta Salad with Spiced Chickpeas
Cous Cous and Cannellini Bean Salad
Tips for making a great salad
In no particular order, here are my top tips for making a salad that is satisfying, delicious, and eats like a meal (if that’s what you’re into).
- Add citrus when possible, to brighten up the flavor
- Keep ingredients cold (if applicable)
- Dry the leaves well — it’s really tempting to short-cut things and not dry them off much, but the water on the leaves will make the salad, well…watery
- Texture, texture, texture! — try to incorporate a mix of creamy, crunchy, and everything in between
- Add a protein for a more satiating salad — for plant-based salads, adding elements that have some protein (like beans or nuts) will make the salad more satiating and won’t leave you hungry in an hour; some of my favorite options are any type of bean, quinoa, lentils (cooked al dente, not mushy for this), seasoned tofu or tempeh
- Make a great dressing — the dressing can make or break a salad, and be the difference between a boring pile of leaves (I know, that’s a bit dramatic ha!) or a delicious meal
- Fresh herbs — these aren’t critical but add such amazing flavor and nutrients; my favorites are basil, chives, cilantro, dill and mint
- Crunchy toppings — these make the salad more texturally fun and also serves to add some extra protein if you use nuts and seeds
helpful items for recipes like this one
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To avoid those soggy leaves in your salad, it’s helpful to use a salad spinner to make things easier (alternatively, dry the leaves well with kitchen towels). Salad spinners typically dry the leaves very quickly, saving some time in the kitchen.
Cuisinart CTG-00-SAS Salad Spinner, Green and White
One of my favorite, if not my favorite, kitchen tool is a lemon/lime juicer. For some reason, it’s basically the most satisfying feeling ever to slice a lemon or lime, throw it in this tool, and squeeze without getting any seeds anywhere near your dressing or sauce.
Top Rated Zulay Premium Quality Metal Lemon Lime Squeezer – Manual Citrus Press Juicer
Strawberry and Avocado Salad
Ingredients
- 6-8 strawberries
- 2 servings of greens arugula and rainbow microgreens used here
- 1 avocado sliced in chunks
- 1/2 can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup chopped pistachios
- 2/3 cup cherry tomatoes sliced
- 2 tbsp thinly sliced mint leaves or fresh basil
Dressing
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1/8 to 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/8 to 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tbsp agave or maple syrup
- 2-3 tsp ginger paste or grated fresh ginger, or 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp fine garlic powder or grated garlic clove
Instructions
- Whisk together the dressing.
- Lightly dress the greens, chickpeas, tomatoes, strawberries in a large mixing bowl, and split between two plates.
- Top with avocado, pistachios and mint leaves.