Strawberry Summer Salad

Yum, yum, yum.  This Strawberry Summer Salad was inspired by a salad Fatima had in Key West.  It was very refreshing and we knew it would be perfect for the summer.  We topped off the Strawberry Summer Salad with a homemade strawberry vinaigrette dressing.

It’s really easy to make.  All you would need to “cook” up are the walnuts.  The rest is normal “salad-making” skill.  The strawberry vinaigrette dressing was just like the dressing Fatima had in Key West.  When we were looking for strawberry dressing recipes, most called for jams over fresh strawberries.  We opted in for fresh strawberries – adds a crisp, summer taste.

The blend of sweet fruit, dressing, and candied walnuts is nicely balanced by the goat cheese.  The cheese keeps this refreshing salad grounded.  We hope you enjoy this just as much as we did!

[recipe title “Strawberry Summer Salad” servings=”2″ time=”20mins” difficulty=”easy”] [recipe-ingredients]

• 2 packs Strawberries (16oz each)
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/8 cup white sugar
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 bag of baby spinach
• 1/4 cup goat cheese

[/recipe-ingredients] [recipe-directions]

1. First, prep the dressing. This way you can place it in the fridge while you’re making the rest of the salad.
2. Cut the tops off of 1/2 of one of the packs of strawberries and place into a blender.
3. Add in lemon juice, white sugar, apple cider vinegar, and olive oil. Blend until it’s liquified.
4. Place the dressing in a jar or container and store in the fridge.
5. Place a skillet over medium heat.
6. Add butter to the skillet and melt.
7. Add the walnuts and toss to coat.
8. Sprinkle in the brown sugar and cinnamon. Toss to coat.
9. Stir around for 4 minutes until you see the sugar begin to liquify.
10. Remove walnuts from skillet and lay out on a paper towel or cookie sheet to cool.
11. Chop up remaining strawberries.
12. Mix up baby spinach, goat cheese and strawberries in a medium-large salad bowl.
13. Top off with cooled walnuts and serve.
14. Don’t forget about your strawberry vinaigrette dressing in the fridge!

[/recipe-directions] [/recipe]