Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad with Apricots & Pecans

One of my favorite things about Instagram is following other foodies.  It’s nice to know that I’m not the only crazy person who takes pictures of what I’m eating.  Last week, the talented Jenny of Picky Palate shared a photo of a strawberry, goat cheese, and pecan salad she was about to eat at a restaurant.
I had some goat cheese chilling in my fridge, so with inspiration from Jenny, I made my own salad.  The flavor combination was exactly what I was hoping for.  The tanginess of the goat cheese with the pecans and sweetness of the fresh fruit was perfect. This salad is simple enough to throw together for a quick lunch, and elegant enough to make for your next get-together.

Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad with Apricots & Pecans

A sweet & tangy salad.
5 from 2 votes
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 8 cups mixed salad greens
  • 2 cups sliced strawberries organic if possible
  • 4 apricots pitted and sliced
  • 1 cup pecans
  • 1/4 cup goat cheese crumbled (can substitute feta if you prefer)
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • salt & freshly-cracked pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Top salad greens with strawberries, apricots, pecans, and crumbled goat cheese.
  • Drizzle with olive oil and vinegar.
  • Sprinkle with salt & pepper to taste.

I have been playing around with my new camera and trying to learn about food photography.  What do you think so far?  I also have an audience every time I work in the kitchen.  See if you can spot him…

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have heard that you shouldn’t put pepper on food that you will be photographing because it can look like dirt.  The photo above is before I added oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.  The photo below is after.  Can you tell a difference?

 

Make sure to check out Picky Palate’s Summer Salad Round Up for more refreshing salad ideas!
  • Jenny July 28, 2011 at 10:56 pm

    Yay!! This is my favorite kind of salad to eat. Yours looks wonderful, glad I could be of some inspiration for ya! I heart Instagram!! xoxo

  • Regan - The Professional Palate July 29, 2011 at 8:54 am

    Love the use of fresh apricots with the goat cheese. Yum!

  • Melaina from Rudi's Gluten Free Bakery June 29, 2012 at 11:10 am

    5 stars
    This salad looks so tasty! What a perfect summer pairing of strawberries, apricots and creamy goat cheese – YUM! Thanks for sharing this great recipe! 🙂

  • Rachel August 13, 2012 at 6:37 pm

    5 stars
    Made a variation of this for dinner at my house tonight. No apricots to be found at my grocery, so we skipped those. I’ve just recently given up dairy and haven’t tried added goat’s milk yet, so we subbed a wonderful smoked chicken (Whole Foods does a lovely smoked chicken). I also added some green onion, since I had them on hand. Yum yum! Thanks so much for the inspiration!