Summer Strawberry Salad
I’m just going to hit pause on the awesomely easy summer strawberry salad for a sec… I get to go dancing in two days!!! Maybe that’s not exciting for you, but it is for me 🙂 The hubby and I used to do fun things like take latin dance lessons. Of course, this was before kids when we actually had extra time and extra cash. We (mostly) remember the steps and what we don’t, we improvise and pretend it looks good. Throw in a twirl here and there and everyone thinks you’re great even if you don’t know what you’re doing. Ha! This weekend is my step-brother’s wedding so just as exciting as dancing with my hubby, is dancing with my dear old dad. Growing up, my parents used to belong to a country dance club so every now and then we’d push the kitchen table out of the way and dance until our feet ached and our hearts were full. I’m sure my dad and I will get a good swing going and probably a two-step or two before the night is through. My heart will be full this weekend. I will be seeing a lovely couple get married, celebrate with extended family I haven’t seen for quite some time and will be able to laugh it up, dancing the night away.
Let’s move off the dance floor and back to the summer strawberry salad (I know, less exciting perhaps but so delicious!!!). This is my go-to salad when I need to bring something that everyone is guaranteed to enjoy. It’s also an amazing salad-as-dessert since it has the sweetness of strawberries both in the salad as well as the strawberry poppyseed dressing. Tossed with a little celery and pecans for crunch, the Havarti cheese gives it a little bit of cozy creaminess that says “I’m eating something naughty!”… but you’re not! If you would rather not make the dressing, I’ve found that Marzetti’s makes a great all natural, no preservatives strawberry poppyseed dressing that is quite tasty. You can also use a raspberry vinaigrette or a more creamy poppyseed dressing if you like. All taste wonderful and after a bite of this summer strawberry salad, your heart will be full too!
- 2 cups salad greens (spinach and chopped romaine work well)
- ½ pound strawberries, hulled and quartered
- 4 oz Havarti cheese, diced*
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 2 tablespoons pecans, chopped
- STRAWBERRY POPPYSEED DRESSING:
- ½ pound strawberries
- 1-2 tablespoons honey
- ¼ c light tasting olive oil
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice
- 1 tablespoon poppyseeds
- Toss all salad ingredients together.
- Puree salad dressing ingredients except poppyseeds together in a blender. Add poppyseeds and stir.
- Pour dressing generously over salad and eat by the forkful!
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