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Strawberry salad combines summer-ripe strawberries with tender spinach, zesty arugula, caramelized almonds, and creamy goat cheese for a recent, scrumptious summer season salad. Prime it with home made poppy seed dressing for the right end!
It’s practically strawberry season round right here and I couldn’t be extra excited. Quickly, the farmer’s market will likely be filled with recent strawberries and the u-pick farms will likely be open.
My step-mom and I’ve cherished taking Elle strawberry selecting prior to now, and shortly the newborn will likely be large enough to go, too. I can’t wait to have our fridge overflowing with recent, completely ripe berries for turning into all the pieces from strawberry lemonade to recent strawberry pie to this strawberry salad.
That is the type of salad I might eat each day of the week and never get bored with it. It’s bought so many nice flavors and it’s as simple as could be to make!
Contemporary strawberry salad made with spinach and arugula
I grew up in Ohio and right here within the Midwest within the ‘80s and ‘90s, salads had been just about at all times created from iceberg lettuce.
Effectively, except it was potato salad or a candy “salad” like watergate salad.
However fancy inexperienced salads weren’t a factor I actually skilled till I used to be grown up. Now I’m all about them, although!
This strawberry salad is one in every of my favourite summer season salads. It pairs candy strawberries with child spinach, peppery arugula, crumbled goat cheese and crunchy caramelized almonds.
I high it with my home made poppy seed dressing for the right tangy-sweet end.
Typically I’ll simply dig into this salad for lunch, but it surely’s unimaginable as a facet dish alongside grilled pork tenderloin or grilled hen. Add a pitcher of rosé sangria and grilled pound cake for dessert and also you’ve bought a meal that’s match for any summer season ceremonial dinner!
The best way to make my strawberry salad
This strawberry salad is fast and straightforward to throw collectively, so it’s nice to make for a weeknight dinner or a straightforward lunch.
Salad elements
This salad is made up of some completely different elements:
- Greens: I like to make use of a mixture of child spinach and arugula. You possibly can additionally use simply spinach or simply arugula.
- Fruit: Contemporary, summer-ripe strawberries add a burst of fruity sweetness to this salad.
- Cheese: I like crumbled goat cheese, however crumbled feta cheese would even be scrumptious.
- Nuts: I prefer to caramelize some sliced almonds earlier than including them to the salad. It’s also possible to simply toast the almonds as an alternative of caramelizing them.
- Dressing: My favourite dressing for this salad is my home made poppy seed dressing. The tangy sweetness of the dressing is ideal with all the different salad elements!
Making the salad
If you wish to make the caramelized almonds to your strawberry salad, begin by lining a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
Soften the butter in a nonstick skillet over medium warmth. As soon as the butter has melted, add the almonds and stir to coat within the butter. Add the brown sugar and stir to mix.
Whereas stirring continuously, let the almonds toast till the sugar has melted and the nuts are golden – this normally takes 2-3 minutes.
As quickly because the almonds are simply the way you need them, instantly pour them onto the lined baking sheet. Don’t wait to take them out of the pan as a result of they will go from excellent to burnt actually shortly!
Only a spatula to unfold the almonds into a good layer and allow them to cool earlier than utilizing them.
While you’re able to make the salad, organize the greens, cheese strawberries, and as most of the almonds as you want in a serving bowl. Wait so as to add the salad dressing till simply earlier than serving, or let company add it themselves table-side should you like.
Ingredient substitutions
Like so a lot of my savory recipes, contemplate this recipe to be a normal guideline. There are a number of ingredient swaps you may make should you don’t like one thing!
- Change the combination of spinach and arugula for all spinach or all arugula. If you happen to battle with the peppery taste of arugula, attempt in search of child arugula – it is a little more delicate.
- Swap the goat cheese for crumbled feta and even crumbled cotija cheese.
- Use toasted or candied pecans as an alternative of the caramelized almonds.
- Regardless that this can be a strawberry salad, that doesn’t imply you possibly can’t use a distinct berry! Contemporary blueberries would even be scrumptious.
Different dressing ideas
Like I discussed above, my favourite dressing for this salad is a tangy poppy seed dressing, however that doesn’t imply it’s the one salad dressing possibility!
In fact, you possibly can at all times go along with your favourite ranch dressing, however I feel we will do even higher than that.
Strive honey French dressing, strawberry balsamic French dressing, and even greek yogurt inexperienced goddess dressing!
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Put together the almonds:
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Place a sheet of parchment paper or a silicone baking mat on a rimmed baking sheet.
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In a nonstick skillet, soften the butter over medium warmth. As soon as melted, add the almonds and stir to mix. Add the brown sugar and stir to coat.
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Cook dinner, stirring continuously, till the sugar has melted and the almonds are golden brown, 2-3 minutes.
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Instantly pour the almonds onto the lined baking sheet, utilizing your spatula to unfold them into a good layer. Enable to chill utterly earlier than including to the salad.
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Make the salad:
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In a serving bowl, organize the greens, goat cheese, sliced strawberries, and as most of the caramelized almonds as desired. Simply earlier than serving, gown with the poppy seed dressing or serve the dressing tableside for company so as to add as they like.
Caramelized almonds could be saved in an hermetic container at room temperature for 4-5 days, so be at liberty to make them forward of time.
Makes 6 small or 4 bigger servings. Recipe vitamin details primarily based on 6 servings with out dressing.
Energy: 115kcal, Carbohydrates: 7g, Protein: 5g, Fats: 8g, Saturated Fats: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fats: 1g, Monounsaturated Fats: 3g, Trans Fats: 0.04g, Ldl cholesterol: 9mg, Sodium: 73mg, Potassium: 227mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 1568IU, Vitamin C: 26mg, Calcium: 79mg, Iron: 1mg
Vitamin info is mechanically calculated, so ought to solely be used as an approximation.
