Strawberries are one of the best sources of antioxidants and vitamin C, making them helpful for many important functions including cardiovascular health and building strong immunity. They are sweet and fresh enough to liven up salads for warm weather days and can even be blended to provide the base for a light but creamy dressing.
Arugula, mint and basil are very flavourful additions for summer salads. Arugula is a peppery green while mint and basil are fragrant herbs. Just a little of one or all three can really spice up a salad and they go well with more typical greens like spinach, romaine lettuce and baby kale.
Blending strawberries with a little olive oil and vinegar turns them into a dressing that can then be further flavoured with some mustard for a little sharpness and if it’s not sweet enough some honey or other sweetener can be added in. I also included some poppy seeds for texture and extra minerals like calcium and magnesium. Balsamic vinegar could be substituted for the red wine vinegar for a stronger flavour and even a spoonful of mayonnaise could be added in to make it more creamy and tone down the other flavours.
I love the saltiness of feta and the buttery texture of hemp seeds with strawberries in salad, plus they add some protein and fats to bulk it up and make it more filling. Other additions that traditionally go nicely with strawberries are almonds, pecans, chicken and/or chickpeas.
- 8 cups greens (tender greens like spinach and baby kale are nice and add in some arugula for pepperiness)
- ½ cup basil, sliced thinly
- ¼ cup mint, sliced thinly
- ¼ cup hemp seeds
- Optional: 1 cup feta and/or chickpeas and cooked or grilled chicken
- Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- Dressing
- 1 cup strawberries, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon cold pressed olive oil
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon grainy mustard
- Toss all the salad ingredients in a large bowl, top with a light sprinkle of salt and pepper.
- Blend the dressing ingredients together and drizzle over the salad.
