WANTED:

A wonderfully balanced salad with peppery arugula, amazingly sweet strawberries, toasty crunchy pecans topped with creamy goat cheese crumbles. Do not want a salad that will require several grocery trips. Must be extremely easy to make and perfect paired with a glass of wine and a crusty baguette. Would love to eat you outside while wearing flip flops and a sundress. All inquiries must go directly in my mouth!

***Update! Found! Made! Loved!***

Here’s what’s involved.

Chop strawberries and marinate them in balsamic vinegar for a few minutes.

Toast your pecans in the oven. Doesn’t that make them even yummier?

Toss the rest of the ingredients with the marinated strawberries and you have this pretty salad.

You are going to love the strawberries!  They are so sweet! You will want to eat the whole bowl!

I added goat cheese to bring a creamy element to the mix. So lovely!

This salad is a new favorite of mine. Enjoy!

Arugula Salad with Strawberries & Goat Cheese

(recipe from Everyday Food Magazine)

• 1/2 pint strawberries, rinsed, hulled, and quartered
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 bunches arugula, washed, dried, and trimmed
• 1/2 cup toasted pecan halves
• 1/4 cup goat cheese crumbles (optional)

Put pecans on baking sheet and toast in the oven at 350F for 8-10 minutes.

In a large bowl, toss 1/2 pint strawberries, rinsed, hulled, and quartered, with 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar; let sit 5 to 10 minutes.

In a small bowl, whisk together another tablespoon balsamic vinegar with 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper.

To the strawberries, add vinaigrette, 1/2 cup toasted pecan halves, and 2 bunches arugula, trimmed and thoroughly washed and dried. Toss to combine, and serve.  Add a bunch of goat cheese crumbles to push it over the top!