Strawberry Salad
As I mentioned in my strawberry vinegar post, a green salad topped with fresh strawberries is extraordinary, but only in the springtime when it’s strawberry season. Any other time of year it just doesn’t seem right to me.
It was because of strawberry-topped salads that I was inspired to make a strawberry vinegar. I thought the layered effect of the strawberry-infused balsamic vinegar, along with the ripened strawberries would be a nice complement to greens.
For some crunch, you can add toasted walnuts or pecans, like I did, and crumbled bleu cheese or feta for extra deliciousness. Today I chose feta. I also included avocado slices for protein, plus a few radish slices for even more color. But other than that, I kept the salad simple in order for the ingredients to shine.
If you don’t have a strawberry-infused vinegar, but want to make the salad, I’d keep the dressing simple. No strong-flavored dressings, just oil and vinegar. But you have choices there as well. You can use a good olive oil, like I did, or even a nut oil, like hazelnut or walnut. These oils are not only for autumnal salads because their flavors are mild. Even an orange-infused oil would be good in this salad, since it’s also mild. Vinegar-wise, I’d use a light-flavored vinegar, like a red wine or apple cider variety.
After one week of the fresh strawberries infusing white balsamic vinegar, it was time to decant. I tasted the vinegar first to make sure the flavor was right, and indeed it was. And just like the sweet strawberry vodka I made last strawberry season, the color of the strawberries drained into the vinegar, so it’s really a lovely vinegar to use as well.
For the salad, I used a butter lettuce – the kind that you can buy with the roots attached. I have some lettuce growing outside, but just not enough yet, thanks to our extended winter. I added the avocado, sliced strawberries, toasted pecans, and then sprinkled the feta on top.
Then I simply drizzled olive oil and the strawberry vinegar on top.
Plus a sprinkle of coarse salt.
You can always add black pepper as well.
Verdict: Fabulous! I will definitely keep making strawberry-infused vinegar and use it on my spring and summer salads. I can imagine it on grilled vegetables as well!
Delicious! I love fresh salad year round, I’m in the middle of a walnut oil and red wine vinegar craze on bitter radicchio, grapes and candied walnuts. I’ve never thought to infuse vinegar with anything other than herbs. Great idea.
In the past, I would have just pureed a few strawberries in a vinaigrette, but this is really fun. And the taste is so natural, not surprisingly…
Looks great! Nice pics! Are those chioggia beets? Ken
They’re baby watermelon beets. I couldn’t resist – had to pick them early! thanks!
This looks so good– I’ll have to try it with butter lettuce! (I’ve made a strawberry and spinach salad that I love.) love the idea of making strawberry vinegar too.
Thank you!!! It was good. I ate it right after I took the pics!
This is absolutely gorgeous my darling. I wish I could have tasted this with you!
It was superb!
Thank you so much Conor!
Lovely indeed. Beautiful photos Mimi.
Thank you so much Conor!
This is stunning! So bright and colorful, what a gorgeous Spring salad.
Thank you!
Wow, this salad looks beautiful and healthy. I bet its delicious too. Love it.
I must say, it was very delicious!!!
Looks amazing Mimi!!
Thanks, Donna! It was!
Wow Mimi, this salad is heavenly! I can’t wait to try making some strawberry balsamic! Thanks for this gorgeous recipe!
You are so welcome! It’s pretty fabulous!
How lovely and so pretty.
Thanks!
Mind, but bursting with good sweet flavor!!!
I hope you like it as much as I do!
A beautiful dish! I could eat this for lunch any and every day. I have recently been enjoying fig-infused vinegar. :-)
Love that as well. Especially in the fall, with pears and feta! I’ve only had fig balsamic, though.
Figs and pears work so well together. The fig vinegar I have is a product Germany, a light colored, pure fruit vinegar created by Robert Bauer and Josef Reiterer from the Acetoria company. It says on the bottle that it is “ideal (with) smoked fish, salads, carpaccio (and) cheeses.” Very yummy!
Oh! I bet they use fresh figs to make the vinegar. I was thinking of this dark, sweet figgy balsamic that I love. I assumed it was made from dried figs, which may or may not be the case…
I really love a sweet, syrupy aged balsamic. You probably know I am a huge fan of dried figs; the organic, Turkish variety have amazing flavor and texture. What fig balsamic do you enjoy the most?
I’ve been looking at images to try and jog my memory, but I can’t remember what brand I last owned. I thought I got one from Igourmet, which was fabulous, but it’s not the one they have online now. so sorry.
This salad looks so good. The presentation is lovely, gorgeous combination of colors and ingredients!
Thank you so much!
Thank you! It was great!