I made this salad for my sister’s birthday BBQ and it was a big hit! Everyone thought it was very refreshing and that the flavor was perfect. I couldn’t get my bottle of regular balsamic vinegar open, so subbed white balsamic and it was great. I think this recipe will become one of my BBQ standards as it really was excellent and it looks really pretty too. Thanks Kate for the great recipe!
I am kind of obsessed with this salad. It is so smartly put together and fulfills my craving for sweet-and-spicy — the jalapeno is pure genius. I have made it several times: with strawberries, with blueberries (what I had), with cheese as a main course and without as a side salad. All variations have been great. I used an arugula/spinach blend since my husband prefers that, and I usually add some white pepper to the dressing.
Ingredients:
2½ cups fresh strawberries, stemmed and sliced, divided
2 cups halved lengthwise and thinly sliced seedless cucumber, divided
⅓ cup red-wine vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard1 tablespoon honey
½ teaspoon ground pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 teaspoons poppy seeds
2 cups sliced celery (4 stalks)
1 cup thinly sliced radishes
⅓ cup pecan pieces, toasted
3 heads butterhead (Boston or Bibb) lettuce, trimmed and quartered
2 ounces soft goat cheese or feta cheese, crumbled
Preparation:
For strawberry vinaigrette, combine 1 cup of the strawberries, ⅓ cup of the cucumber, the vinegar, oil, mustard, honey, and pepper in a food processor. Cover and process until pureed. Stir in basil and poppy seeds. Toss together the remaining 1½ cups strawberries, the remaining 1⅔ cups cucumber, the celery, radishes, and pecans in a medium bowl. Place a lettuce wedge on each of 12 salad plates. Top each with about ½ cup of the celery mixture and drizzle with about 2 tablespoons of the strawberry vinaigrette. Sprinkle with crumbled cheese.
source: eatingwell.com
