Vegan Strawberry Avocado Salad
This salad is the kind of thing that looks like it came from a fancy brunch spot but comes together in about 15 minutes with a single skillet and a mixing bowl. Juicy sliced strawberries and creamy avocado are a genuinely great pairing — sweet, rich, and fresh all at once — layered over a bed of mixed greens with thin ribbons of red onion and torn mint for a little brightness in every bite. The real showstopper is the candied pecans, which get toasted in maple syrup and a pinch of salt until they're sticky, caramelized, and completely irresistible. Everything is 100% plant-based without any substitutions or workarounds — the dressing gets its depth from balsamic vinegar and Dijon mustard, and maple syrup does the sweetening throughout, so there's no honey or any other animal-derived ingredient to navigate. It's a generous four-serving salad that works as a light lunch, a starter, or a side dish that will absolutely upstage whatever else is on the table.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the salad
- 5 oz mixed greens
- 1 lb fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 2 ripe avocados, pitted, peeled, and sliced
- ¼ red onion, very thinly sliced
- ¼ cup fresh mint leaves, torn
For the candied pecans
- ½ cup pecan halves
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- ⅛ tsp fine salt
For the vinaigrette
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- 1
Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add the pecan halves and drizzle with 1 tbsp maple syrup and 1/8 tsp fine salt. Stir to coat and cook, stirring frequently, for 3–4 minutes until the syrup is absorbed and the pecans are fragrant and lightly caramelized. Transfer to a piece of parchment paper and spread in a single layer to cool completely, about 5 minutes.
- 2
In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, 1 tbsp maple syrup, Dijon mustard, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper until smooth and emulsified.
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