Summary:

Drizzled with a balsamic vinaigrette, this refreshing strawberry salad has a good balance of sweet and savory. Fresh fruit and balsamic vinegar are naturally sweet, nicely complemented by savory chopped nuts and tangy onions. Great for anyone on keto, low carb, vegan, or paleo diets; for more ideas, visit Salad Recipes.

Strawberry Salad

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Prep: 30

Yield: 5 servings

INGREDIENTS

Salad:

▢ 1 pound fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered (3.5 cups)
▢ 2 romaine lettuce hearts, cut into 1/2-inch-thick pieces (Note 1)
▢ 1/2 medium red onion, very thinly sliced
▢ 3/4 cup chopped pecans (Note 2)

Balsamic Dressing:

▢ 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar (Note 3)
▢ 1/4 cup olive oil
▢ 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
▢ 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

Soak Onions (Note 4): Microwave balsamic vinegar in microwave-safe bowl or measuring glass until hot, about 1 minute (Note 5). Stir in sliced onions using fork until well-coated, and let stand at room temperature for at least 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Onion slices will eventually soften and become mostly submerged in vinegar. Then remove them from vinegar using fork and add them to large salad tossing bowl.
Make Dressing (Note 6): In bowl with remaining vinegar, add olive oil, dijon mustard, and black pepper. Whisk until emulsified.
Assemble Salad: Add strawberries, lettuce, and pecans to salad bowl with onion slices, optionally reserving some strawberries for garnish if desired. Evenly pour about half of dressing over salad, and toss until well-mixed. Lettuce should be nicely coated with dressing; if not, add more dressing and toss again.
Serve (Note 7): Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve, with leftover dressing on the side.

NUTRITION

Makes 5 Servings

Amount Per Serving (1 dressed salad):

Calories 230
Total Fat 20g	30%
Saturated Fat 2g	11%
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 20mg	1%
Net Carb 9g
Total Carb 14g	5%
Dietary Fiber 5g	19%
Sugars 7.5g
Protein 3g

Vitamin A 98% · Vitamin C 95% · Calcium 3% · Iron 9%

PHOTOS

quartered strawberries and romaine lettuce

mixing strawberry salad with balsamic dressing

NOTES & TIPS

(1) Romaine Lettuce. Each heart weighs about 5 ounces. A salad spinner is recommended for removing excess moisture from the lettuce. You can substitute with baby spinach leaves.

(2) Pecans. Same as 3 ounces weight. You can substitute them with chopped walnuts or your preferred type of nuts.

(3) Balsamic Vinegar. I use balsamic vinegar because it’s a popular pairing with strawberries. The vinegar intensifies the strawberry’s taste, enhancing its sweet citrus flavors, so a balsamic vinaigrette was an obvious choice for this salad. Other vinegars that work well include red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar.

(4) Soaking Onions. By soaking onions in hot balsamic vinegar, it takes the sharp bite out of the raw onions. You’re left with a bright pickled onion flavor, which adds a nice crisp tang to the salad.

(5) Microwave. I use a 700-watt microwave. Cooking times are approximate because microwaves vary.

(6) Salad Dressing. You can customize the dressing to your liking, such as mixing in a tablespoon of poppy seeds or a minced clove of garlic.

(7) Serving. Serve this salad with other berry-centric dishes like lemon blueberry posset, strawberry seared salmon, and blackberry apple crisp. You can prepare this salad a day in advance. Keep the salad separate from the dressing, and toss with the dressing shortly before serving.

(8) Nutrition. Assumes 75% of the dressing is consumed.