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Sides and Snacks

Summer Strawberry Salad

Strawberries, watermelon radish, mint, fennel — oh my! Eat the summer rainbow and serve this salad all season long.

I’m typically a fewer, ingredient, simple salad gal but a recent lunch of the Strawberry Fields Salad from Mendocino Farms, inspired me to break this mold while so much delicious produce is in season. Between the juicy strawberries, crisp fennel, crunchy nuts, and cooling mint, it captured the varied tastes of summer in a salad. I knew I had to try to recreate it — and in a way that wouldn’t be too difficult at home!

Enter: the strawberry summer salad. I plan to serve this as a fun lunch or hearty dinner salad all summer long. Fresh strawberries are one of the key stars of this show – so keep an eye peeled while they’re in season at grocery stores and farmer’s markets! 

Ingredients:

(Serves 2)

For the dressing-

  • 1/3 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
  • 1/2 tsp honey
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1-3 tsp cold water, depending on desired consistency

For the rest-

  • 1 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • 1 cup thinly sliced watermelon radish quarters
  • 1/3 cup chopped red onion
  • 6 strawberries, halved and thinly sliced
  • 3/4 cup roughly chopped fennel bulb
  • 1/3 cup chopped fresh mint
  • 20 almonds, roughly chopped
  • 2 oz honey goat cheese, crumbled
  • 5 loosely packed cups of spring mix

Directions:

(Total time: 30 minutes)

  1. Heat grill, grill pan, or pan over medium heat. Season chicken breasts generously with salt and pepper. Add cooking oil, then chicken breast. Cook for 7-10 minutes on each side, or till cooked through. Set aside to rest.
  2. Prep your salad ingredients – chopping your watermelon radish, red onion, fennel, mint, almonds, and goat cheese. Set aside.
  3. Make your dressing – whisk together Greek yogurt, honey, apple cider vinegar, and Dijon mustard. Add cold water, one teaspoon at a time, to thin to desired consistency.
  4. Get a large serving bowl or plate – add greens, then top with all salad ingredients, including the chicken. Save a small amount of your most colorful ingredients (like mint and radish) to add back on at the end for garnish. Top with dressing and enjoy fresh!

Notes:

I used a few of my favorite kitchen staples in making this recipe. They’re completely optional, but I’ve found them to be life hacks in my present tiny, dishwasher-free kitchen:

  • To “grill” indoors – This Staub Grill Pan lets me “grill” when called for in recipes (and get the corresponding grill marks!) without actually having a grill
  • For making dressings – This OXO Salad Dressing Shaker is my go-to for measuring, mixing, serving, and storing salad dressings — all in one! Goodbye infinite bowls, plates, whisks, and jars!

What am I listening to as I make this?

What can I learn while I make this? Beyond simply looking cool, Watermelon radishes have some very cool properties! Specifically, they contain isothiocyanate, a compound that’s a natural pest repellent. They can keep away weeds and pest naturally!

What if I want to make a summer salad but not this recipe? Don’t worry– I won’t be offended! Check out these other ideas below:

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