Baby kale tossed with ripe strawberries, creamy goat cheese, avocado, almonds, and a bright strawberry-mint vinaigrette — a fresh, healthy salad perfect for warm-weather meals.
After finishing my book, Let Them Eat Kale!, I took a little kale break. Not because I fell out of love with it, but because I had plenty on hand and needed a pause. This weekend I did some house- and pet-sitting, enjoyed a bit of wine, and finally returned to cooking with kale.
With sweet, ripe strawberries and fresh mint in the kitchen, I made a strawberry-mint vinaigrette that turned out sweet, tangy, and refreshingly herbaceous.
I chose baby kale for this salad because it needs minimal prep and doesn’t require massaging the leaves. I kept the toppings simple and flavorful: raw almonds, sunflower seeds, ripe avocado, chopped mint, and crumbled goat cheese for creaminess. The result is a vibrant spring-summer salad that’s both satisfying and light.
Baby Kale Salad with Strawberries, Goat Cheese, and Strawberry-Mint Vinaigrette
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Ingredients
For the Strawberry-Mint Vinaigrette:
- 1 cup heaping ripe strawberries, chopped
- ½ cup balsamic vinegar, golden balsamic recommended
- 3 leaves mint, chopped
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup avocado oil
For the Salad:
- 5 ounces baby kale
- 2 cups ripe strawberries, chopped
- ½ cup raw almonds
- 2 tablespoons raw sunflower seeds
- 1 avocado, peeled and diced
- 4 leaves mint, chopped
- Goat cheese
Instructions
To Prepare the Strawberry-Mint Vinaigrette:
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In a small skillet, combine the balsamic vinegar and chopped strawberries. Heat over medium-high until it comes to a full boil, then simmer until the strawberries break down and become very soft, about 5–8 minutes. Mash the strawberries with a fork.
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Remove from the heat, stir in the chopped mint, maple syrup, and salt, then let the mixture cool slightly. Transfer to a bowl and chill until cool.
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Strain the cooled mixture through a fine mesh sieve to remove seeds and mint bits, pressing to extract the liquid.
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Blend the strained liquid with the avocado oil until smooth, or whisk vigorously by hand to emulsify. Set the vinaigrette aside until ready to use.
To Prepare the Salad:
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Combine the baby kale, chopped strawberries, almonds, sunflower seeds, diced avocado, and chopped mint in a large serving bowl. Toss with the vinaigrette to taste — you won’t need all of it. Serve topped with crumbled goat cheese.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.
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