A refreshing green summer salad, perfectly complemented by balsamic vinaigrette and the addition of fresh strawberries, nuts, and cheese.
I recently got back from Amsterdam, and although I only spent one weekend there, my favorite jeans still refuse to button today, which is when I know it’s definitely time for a salad. I usually prefer salad as a small meal, but since I have no choice other than having it as my main course for the day, I figured this better be a really good salad.
By looking at the ingredient list, you can probably see just how good it is, and although I’m eating it for lunch, it usually makes the perfect side dish or first course. Occasionally I’ll replace the strawberries with other sweet seasonal fruits, or use only baby spinach instead of the mixed baby greens. As for the dressing, I like this simple balsamic vinaigrette recipe, which combines perfectly with the sweet and refreshing strawberries.
- 6 cups (200 g) mix of baby greens or fresh baby spinach
- 2 cups strawberries, hulled and quartered (or other berries)
- 100 g/4 oz crumbled blue cheese (such as Roquefort) or goat cheese (such as Sainte Maure)
- ½ cup chopped pecans or other nuts/candid nuts, preferably toasted
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup or honey, optional
- ¼ teaspoon table salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- To make the dressing: In a small bowl whisk oil, vinegar, mustard, maple syrup, salt, and pepper until well combined.
- In a large bowl place greens, strawberries, cheese, and nuts. Pour as much dressing as you want over salad mixture and toss to combine Serve immediately.
3 Comments
Jess @ What Jessica Baked Next
February 13, 2016 at 4:09 pmThis salad is gorgeous, Shiran! I love strawberries and balsamic. Definitely will give this recipe a try. 🙂
Kathy
August 5, 2018 at 9:15 pmThanks for sharing the recipe; it’s fantastic! I made this salad and took to a dinner party. Everyone raved. I had raspberry walnut dressing so skipped making the dressing and just put that on this time.
Autumn
May 5, 2019 at 11:28 amI had this yesterday at a potluck and it is fabulous! It was so good that I had to look up the recipe today, so I can’t say I’ve made it. But it’s the perfect blend of salad vs. salad dressing, the perfect blend of tangy, sweet, salty, and greens. I plan on making this soon!