Why You Should Try This Salad
This Summertime Strawberry Salad is absolutely packed with flavor. From the sweet strawberries to the tangy balsamic vinaigrette, the crunchy pistachios and celery at play against spicy radish and red onion, this hearty garden salad hits all the notes. Effortless, elegant and downright mesmerizing to look at, this stunner of a dish happens to be one of the quickest and easiest salads around. With just 10 minutes of effort, you can make a delicious and healthy dish the neighbors are sure to talk about. Since you are making the balsamic vinaigrette from scratch, you can be assured that there are no strange preservatives, artificial sweeteners or additives whatsoever. You can also make a simple swap of agave or maple syrup to make it completely vegan. Naturally gluten free, dairy free and yummy to boot, this is a recipe you should commit to memory. Whether you eat it as a side salad at a barbecue, or as a light lunch or dinner, you’re sure to fall in love with this strawberry salad. Meet me in the kitchen, and I’ll show you how to make my absolute favorite veggie side!
Salad Ingredients
With a few cuts from the knife and stirs of a fork, you can have a delightfully daring Strawberry balsamic salad ready in no time. Here’s all the produce you’ll need:
Salad Greens - I used mixed salad greens for this recipe, but you can easily swap in spinach or arugula (a.k.a. rocket) instead!Radish - Thinly sliced radish is beautiful, crunchy and slightly peppery. To keep the slices nice and crispy, give them a dunk in ice water while you prepare the rest of your ingredients! Feel free to choose any color or variety of radishes that you have available.Strawberries - Sliced, fresh strawberries are what give this summer salad it’s signature sweet flavor. Since this is a salad, I don’t recommend using previously frozen strawberries. That said, feel free to swap in other berries if strawberries are not in season where you live.Celery - Crunchy and earthy, raw celery is one of my favorite veggies to add to salads. If celery is not your favorite, opt for another crunchy veg like jicama, water chestnuts or cucumber instead.Red Onion - I adore the spicy bite of raw red onion! It offers such contrast to the sweet berries. If you want a less pungent flavor, slice the red onion very thinly and soak in cold water for about 20-30 minutes.Pistachios - Not only do I love the flavor of pistachios in this salad, but I also love their bright green color. If you prefer, feel free to sub in any other roasted nut (or sunflower seeds if you have an allergy).
Vinaigrette Ingredients
If you’ve never made homemade salad dressing before, you’ll be shocked at how easy it is! Here is everything you need to make a delectable homemade balsamic vinaigrette:
Olive Oil - opt for a cold pressed, raw variety for the best flavor.Balsamic Vinegar - Typically speaking, the best balsamic vinegars come from the Modena region of Italy. For a guide to some excellent vinegars at varying price points, check out this post.Dijon Mustard - Dijon mustard not only provides a bit of flavor and body to the dressing, it is also an important element to ensure the vinaigrette emulsifies properly. Feel free to swap in other types of smooth mustard (spicy brown or honey mustard would be my first picks). You can also opt to use mayonnaise if you prefer a sweeter, creamier dressing.Honey - Feel free to swap in agave nectar, maple syrup or date syrup for a vegan dressing.Salt and Pepper - Season to your liking. I love a hefty crack of fresh peppercorn and prefer Himalayan pink salt in my kitchen.
How to Make My Summer Strawberry Salad
This salad is super simple to assemble. I often forego using a mixing bowl and dress it directly on a serving platter instead. Anytime I can avoid dirtying an extra dish, it’s a win! First, rinse and dry your salad mix. Lay it out as the “bed” for your other ingredients. Top with freshly sliced strawberries… …and add sliced radishes and onions, as well as your pistachios. TIP: If you are working ahead of time, feel free to wrap the salad up in plastic wrap and pop it in the refrigerator at this point. In a separate bowl, whisk together all of your vinaigrette ingredients until well combined. NOTE: If the dressing doesn’t come together, add a tad bit more dijon to help it emulsify. TIP: Balsamic Vinaigrette can be made up to a week in advance and kept in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to serve your strawberry summer salad, drizzle the serving platter with dressing and toss to combine. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
For extra crunchy veggies, soak your onion, radish and celery in ice cold water for a few minutes. Drain thoroughly before adding to the salad! For milder onion flavor, soak the onion slices in cold water for 20-30 minutes or drizzle with an acidic element like lemon or vinegar. That will leech out some of the more pungent flavor compounds.For best results, ensure all veggies and fruit are nice and cold. Warm vegetables have a tendency to become limp.If you prefer to meal prep, feel free to assemble the salad and the dressing ahead of time and store them separately. Dress the salad only just before serving to prevent wilting.
Salad Variations
Now that you have the basics down, feel free to riff on this strawberry salad to make it your own. Here are some substitutions and add-ons to consider:
Switch things up by changing out your salad greens. Arugula/rocket will provide a bit of peppery spiciness, baby spinach can be used instead of mixed greens, or opt for a crunchy lettuce like romaine instead.Depending on what fruits are available, you can totally change the flavor profile of your salad. Try swapping in or adding blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, avocado, clementines, or mandarins to the mix.Nuts are another variable to consider. This salad tastes great with toasted almonds, pecans, walnuts, or cashew nuts, too. If you’re allergic to nuts, try swapping in toasted hemp hearts, pepitas or sunflower seeds.If you want to add some bulk to the salad, consider adding grains. Quinoa, farro, wheat berries, barley or even wild rice would work. Couscous, though a pasta, will also give a nice grain-like appeal.To serve this as an entrée salad, consider adding some extra protein to the mix. A simple marinated and grilled piece of chicken or steak would be delicious!For more richness, think about some cheese. The flavors in this strawberry balsamic salad would go beautifully with tart goat cheese, salty feta or even pungent blue cheese.
More tasty salad inspirations for you
Strawberry Spinach SaladHealthy Onion Cucumber Tomato SaladWinter Fruit SaladPeach SaladTomato Avocado Corn Salad
If you tried my easy recipe for Summer Strawberry Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette, please let me know how you liked it in the comments below! I always love hearing from you. If you are looking for more delicious and easy recipes delivered straight to your inbox, you can sign up for my email newsletter. You can also follow me on Pinterest, Instagram or Facebook to see more of my kitchen creations.
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