This straightforward strawberry salad recipe encompasses a creamy home made balsamic dressing, toasted nuts, and candy ripe berries. It’s the proper facet dish!
Prepared for our favourite strawberry salad recipe? Strawberries are a pure taste pairing with the acidity of balsamic vinegar. So for this salad, we used our favourite balsamic French dressing dressing to completely intensify the brilliant pink candy berries. Paired with pink onions and toasted almonds, it’s a easy and scrumptious method to benefit from the fruit of the season!
Why we love this recipe: As married cookbook authors who’ve been sharing recipes on-line for over a decade, that is certainly one of our favourite methods to eat strawberries! (We choose salads over strawberry desserts each time.) We’ve made it dozens of occasions, and it’s a straightforward method to decorate a wide range of meals. We hope you like it too!
“Easy and yummy! I frequently make balsamic dressing however following your instructions took it up a notch from my normal consequence. I’ll be having fun with this for the following few days!”
Substances in strawberry salad
Strawberry salad is a reasonably traditional dish, so our greatest strawberry salad stays true to kind. Right here’s what’s in our favourite strawberry salad recipe:
- Ripe strawberries: Discovering ripe strawberries is the primary key to a very good strawberry salad! In the event you don’t have entry to native berries, attempt to purchase in the summertime when strawberries are in season and discover the ripest strawberries that you would be able to. In the event you’re trying to combine it up with the kind of berry, strive our Blueberry Salad or Blackberry Salad.
- Do-it-yourself balsamic dressing: Strawberries are a pure pair with the acidity of balsamic vinegar, which makes the berries shine! This home made dressing is so easy, you’ll by no means return.
- Cheese crumbles: Cheese crumbles make for an ideal strawberry salad, although they’re not required. We like feta cheese or goat cheese. For vegan, merely omit the cheese crumbles and it’s simply pretty much as good!
- Nuts: Add nuts for crunch on this salad; you should utilize any you’d like! We suggest pecans, walnuts, or sliced toasted almonds.
- Crimson onion: The colour and taste of pink onion is our closing contact to deliver a savory aptitude to this salad. Right here’s a tip to eliminate onion breath: soak the onion slices in chilly water for about 15 to twenty minutes earlier than serving! This mellows the flavour and softens the chance of onion breath.
make strawberry salad: step-by-step
A key to creating this strawberry salad recipe is taking the time to combine up your personal home made balsamic French dressing salad dressing. It’s a pleasant various utilizing bought salad dressings, which might include components and preservatives and simply don’t style pretty much as good. We extremely suggest it right here!
When Alex and I first began cooking at residence, we have been impressed to throw out all our retailer purchased salad dressings and begin making home made salad dressing! It makes a world of distinction for an ideal salad. Right here’s make strawberry salad (or bounce to the complete recipe for precise portions):
Step 1: Put together the contemporary elements: wash and slice the strawberries. Wash and dry the salad greens. Thinly slice the pink onion (if desired, soak it in chilly water for quarter-hour earlier than serving to mellow the flavour).
Step 2: If desired, toast the nuts for a couple of minutes till they’re golden brown, stirring incessantly and watching rigorously in order that they don’t burn. Instantly take away the nuts to a plate.
Step 3: In a medium bowl, whisk collectively the balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, and kosher salt. Then progressively whisk within the olive oil 1 tablespoon at a time till totally emulsified and creamy.
To serve, unfold the greens on a plate and prime with strawberries, pink onion, nuts, cheese crumbles, French dressing, and a number of other grinds of black pepper.
Desire a completely different dressing? Different salad dressing choices embody Poppy Seed Dressing, Strawberry French dressing, or Citrus Salad Dressing.
Variations on the nuts
If in case you have time, toasting the nuts is a good way to step up the flavors! It actually does intensify the flavors in a noticeable approach. Add the nuts to a dry skillet and toast for 3 to five minutes over medium warmth, stirring incessantly. Instantly take away to a plate. See Toast Pecans, Toast Almonds, or Toast Walnuts.
Different variations on the nuts embody hazelnuts, chopped pistachios, candied pecans, or candied walnuts.
Different cheese concepts
Cheese is non-compulsory however provides a welcome savory distinction. We like feta cheese or goat cheese crumbles. Gorgonzola or Parmesan cheese additionally work. Omit cheese for a vegan salad and it’s simply as tasty!
Make it right into a primary dish: protein adders
One of many issues we like once we exit to eat is the flexibility so as to add protein to salads at many eating places to make it right into a meal! This strawberry salad works effectively with protein adders, for the reason that savory protein compliments the candy, juicy berries. Listed below are a couple of concepts of what we’d add right here:
Storage and make forward notes
Salads are notoriously suboptimal as leftovers, as they get soggy over time. For that reason, we wish to plate particular person salads when serving and easily drizzle the dressing over every plate or bowl. If making upfront, you may chop the elements and retailer them refrigerated in separate particular person containers. Instantly earlier than serving, enable the dressing to return to room temperature, then plate every salad.
Extra home made salad dressing recipes
Listed below are a couple of of our favourite home made salad dressing recipes:
Dietary notes
This strawberry salad recipe is vegetarian, gluten free, naturally candy, and refined sugar free. For vegan, omit the cheese crumbles.
Continuously requested questions
Ripe however agency strawberries are ultimate: it’s finest to purchase them in strawberry season! Native berries are your best option when you’ll find them. Keep away from mushy or mushy berries that can break down within the salad.
The chances are countless! Fashionable additions embody spinach, arugula, crumbled feta cheese, chopped pecans or walnuts, or blueberries.
It’s finest to assemble the salad simply earlier than serving to forestall the strawberries from getting soggy. Nevertheless, you may put together the dressing and different elements upfront.
Description
This straightforward strawberry salad recipe encompasses a creamy home made balsamic dressing and candy ripe berries. It’s the proper facet dish!
For the salad
- 2 cups ripe strawberries
- 8 cups combined salad greens (mixture of spinach and lettuce)
- 1/2 pink onion
- ⅓ cup pecan items, chopped walnuts, or sliced almonds*
- ⅓ cup feta cheese crumbles**
- Contemporary floor black pepper
For the balsamic French dressing
- 2 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- Wash and slice the strawberries. Wash and dry the salad greens.
- Thinly slice the pink onion. To mellow the flavour, soak the onion slices in chilly water for about 20 minutes previous to serving, then drain.
- Elective: In a small saucepan over medium warmth, toast the nuts for a couple of minutes till they’re golden brown, stirring incessantly and watching rigorously in order that they don’t burn.
- Make the balsamic French dressing: In a medium bowl, whisk collectively the balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, and kosher salt. Then progressively whisk within the olive oil 1 tablespoon at a time till totally emulsified and creamy.
- To serve, unfold the greens on a plate and prime with strawberries, pink onion, nuts, feta cheese crumbles, French dressing, and a number of other grinds of black pepper.
Notes
*If in case you have time, toasting the nuts is a good way to step up the flavors! Add the nuts to a dry skillet and toast for 3 to five minutes over medium warmth, stirring incessantly. Instantly take away to a plate. See Toast Pecans, Toast Almonds, or Toast Walnuts. Different variations on the nuts embody hazelnuts, chopped pistachios, candied pecans, or candied walnuts.
**Cheese is non-compulsory however provides a welcome savory distinction. We like feta cheese or goat cheese crumbles. Gorgonzola or Parmesan cheese additionally work. Omit cheese for a vegan salad and use maple syrup within the dressing.
Leftover and make forward ideas: Salads are notoriously suboptimal as leftovers, as they get soggy over time. We wish to plate particular person salads when serving and easily drizzle the dressing over every plate or bowl. If making upfront, chop the elements and retailer them refrigerated in separate particular person containers. Instantly earlier than serving, enable the dressing to return to room temperature, then plate every salad.
Different salad dressing choices embody Poppy Seed Dressing, Strawberry French dressing, or Citrus Salad Dressing.
Contemplate including protein to make it a primary dish! Attempt rooster like Parmesan crusted rooster, grilled rooster, or blackened rooster, salmon like baked salmon, pan seared salmon, or grilled salmon, or tofu like baked tofu, crispy tofu, or grilled tofu.
- Class: Facet Dish
- Technique: Uncooked
- Delicacies: Italian
Key phrases: Strawberry Salad, Strawberry Salad recipe