Simple Strawberry Basil Salad. Are you looking for a simple salad to dress up your summer meal? What about one that has a unique flavor combo? Or a salad that is very simple and quick to throw together? This salad is for you. It is super healthy and really delicious! **Featured On South Your Mouth Weekend Potluck**.
Are you looking for other strawberry recipe inspiration? How about these strawberry sugar cookies bars? These strawberry lemon scones are really delicious too! Strawberry mini-baked donuts are one of my favorite sweet bites to make!
What Makes This Salad So Good?
The beauty of this salad is in its simplicity. Fresh, seasonal berries really make this recipe shine!
Choosing fresh berries is key and will make this salad the best it can be!
It is so simple to make. This salad comes together in about 5 minutes. No stress.
It is vegetarian, and gluten-free, if you want, remove the cheese, and it's vegan, etc. This salad is good for everyone!
Ingredients In The Simple Strawberry Basil Salad
Ingredients:
- Fresh Strawberries- I use strawberries for the sweet, light texture they add to this salad.
- Sliced Cucumbers- I add cucumbers to get my veggies in and for their crunch.
- Chopped Walnuts- The crunch of the walnuts complements this salad so well.
- Thinly Sliced Basil- Basil is the perfect combination with strawberries, if you have never tried strawberry basil lemonade, you are in for a pleasant surprise!
- Fresh Mozzarella
- White Balsamic Vinegar- I used a peach vinegar from a local vinegar taproom.
Making The Salad
- Let me tell you how simple this is.
- Wash and cut your strawberries, thinly slice the basil, make the vinaigrette, and throw it all together.
- I told you it would come together in 5 minutes!
Why Does Freshness Matter?
This is a summer salad, so it is best to use fruits and vegetables when they are at their peak as they will not be cooked or changed in any form. Try finding the best fruits and veggies you can get.
For strawberries, look for beautiful red color all the way around. Try to avoid white patches or pink colors, don’t be embarrassed to look through all of the boxes to find the best strawberries.
When looking for your cucumbers, make sure they do not have any soft spots on them, are green all the way around, and are firm, but not too hard.
Next, when you are hunting for basil, make sure you do not see any brown spots on the leaves. You can grow it yourself or buy it in the store. I bought mine as it is not in season in our area. The leaves should look firm, if available you might even buy your own basil plant to ensure the freshest greens.
What Is A White Balsamic?
I have been a White Balsamic lover for the longest time! It is a sweet thicker balsamic. I used a peach variation for this salad, but you can use lemon if you prefer.
White balsamic is made by crushing white grapes and pressure cooking them at low temperatures. With a white balsamic you can expect to get a sort of cleaner aftertaste than your regular balsamic.
The flavoring is subtle but sweet with a nice clean color.
Lighter Salads For Warmer Weather
People crave lighter foods during warmer weather. If you are anything like me, you will avoid turning on your oven during the warmer months.
Salads are one of my favorite things and are on rotation around our house during the Spring and Summer. The reason we crave lighter foods during this time is due to thermoregulation.
To put it plainly, body heat regulation. The more food we eat, the more heat our body creates turning that food into energy. During the winter months, we are colder and eat heavier foods that heat us up more, vice versa in the Spring and Summer.
Notes
- Other fruits that you might consider using could be peaches, nectarines, blueberries, and blackberries. Any of these would be delightful, particularly the blackberries paired with basil, these two are a delicious combo.
- If you are looking to add veggies to this salad, try avocados, celery, or carrots. You can also spruce your salad up with nuts. Nuts like pecans, almonds, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, or pine nuts. For the cheese, you can try fresh ricotta, feta, white sharp cheddar, or burrata.
- This salad is best eaten fresh. I like to eat this within a few hours of making it. Good thing it comes together quickly!
FAQ
If this is your first time using strawberries, let me tell you how to prepare them. Rinse them under cool water with the stems on. Gently pat them dry. With a sharp paring knife, cut out the stem. Then for this salad, I just cut the berries in half.
Yes, you can. I like to use the white balsamic as the flavor is brighter for summer, but use what you have.
You could make this salad about an hour before serving. It really is best served pretty close when you prepare it.
Other Salad Ideas
Simple Strawberry Basil Salad
Ingredients
- 4 cups fresh strawberries, half or quartered
- ⅓ cup thinly sliced basil
- 1 ½ cup thinly sliced cucumber
- ⅓-1/2 cup white balsamic I used a peach white balsamic, but use the flavor you prefer!
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella or cheese of choice
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients, then drizzle with the balsamic. Mix gently to coat with the white balsamic.This salad is best enjoyed within a few hours, so not good for meal prep. But, the nice part of it is, the salad is so simple to make it comes together in minutes!Now, sit back and enjoy. You deserve it!