Herby Strawberry Salad with Chèvre
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
2 mins
A beautiful and zippy strawberry salad with chèvre crumbles, handfuls of fresh herbs, punchy red onion slivers, savory-sweet pepitas, lots of black pepper, and a perfectly emulsified balsamic vinaigrette.
Recipe Type:
Salad
Keyword:
strawberry salad
Makes: 4 generous servings
Ingredients
Vinaigrette
- 2 tablespoons very finely minced red onion
- 2 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Pepitas
- 1/3 cup raw, hulled pepitas (aka pumpkin seeds)
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon Aleppo pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon honey
Salad
- 8 cups red or green leaf, or romaine lettuce, torn into bite size pieces
- 1/2 cup parsley leaves, rough chopped
- 2 tablespoons mint leaves, chopped
- 1/2 a red onion, cut into paper thin slivers
- 1 quart strawberries, hulled and sliced 1/4-inch thick
- 1/2 cup (4 ounces) crumbled chèvre
Instructions
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First, start the vinaigrette. Mince the onions very finely, almost into a paste. Scrape the onions and any accumulated juices into a small mixing bowl. Add the balsamic, honey, salt, and pepper, and set aside for 5 - 10 minutes. Then, whisking vigorously, add the olive oil a very small drizzle at a time. Allow each oil addition to completely emulsify before adding more. As the mixture thickens, you can add the olive oil in more generous glugs.
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To make the pepitas, set a small skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and pepitas. Once they start to sizzle and pop, add the honey, Aleppo pepper, and salt. Cook 1 - 2 minutes total, just until pepitas are golden and fragrant. Scrape into a shallow dish. Taste a seed or two and add salt as needed. Let pepitas cool undisturbed (they will cool into delicious little clumps).
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To serve, toss the lettuce and herbs with several spoonfuls of vinaigrette. Add salt and pepper to taste. In another little bowl, toss the red onion slivers with vinaigrette and a pinch of salt.
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Arrange the lettuce on a platter or in a shallow bowl. Layer the red onions, strawberries, pepitas, and chèvre. Drizzle with vinaigrette and gently toss. Taste and add more black pepper or a pinch of salt just before serving.
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Once dressed, this salad should be eaten right away. If you’d like to have it a few nights in a row, prep the elements and combine them just before eating. The balsamic vinaigrette recipe can easily be doubled for nights of delicious salads.