Ultimate Summer Salad With Strawberries

The crispness of the mixed salad leaves or baby spinach and cucumber adds a lovely crunch, while the juicy burst from the cherry tomatoes, grapes, and strawberries provides a sweet contrast. The peaches and kiwi offer a tangy sweetness that dances on your palate, perfectly balanced by the salty creaminess of cubed feta cheese. The red onion rings bring a subtle sharpness, cutting through the sweetness, while a squeeze of lemon juice ties everything together with a zesty finish.

If you’re feeling adventurous, toss in a handful of toasted walnuts for extra crunch or creamy avocado to enhance the richness. This salad is light yet satisfying, making it a perfect companion for sunny days and outdoor gatherings.

During summer, Sunday lunch in our home often became a big family gathering with impromptu guests. The menu usually included roast chicken or lamb chops and occasionally we would have a lovely braai (South African version of your back yard barbeque). My mother always insisted on having an array of healthy summer salad recipes to accompany the roasted or barbequed meat.

This Summer Salad with strawberries is one of my favorite easy summer salads that can be made in small servings but is also an excellent summer salad for a crowd. It is crunchy, sweet, salty and tangy and is everything you expect in a healthy summer salad recipe; all the enjoyment and none of the guilt.

We would switch it up and either do this summer salad with strawberries, pineapple or mango, or one of my mum’s summer green salad recipes or summer pasta salads for a crowd. The ultimate Summer Salad with strawberries came about quite by accident during a very hot summer when we were fasting during Ramadhan.

My late father preferred lighter meals for dinner when we were fasting, so we often had grilled meats and salads after iftar. On this particular evening my mother actually wanted to make a Greek salad but we had no olives.

Instead, she tossed in sliced strawberries, stone and exotic fruits along with grapes and feta cheese and it soon became our favorite salad to have with meals. I love summer salad recipes with fruit and can’t imagine it without the combination of complimentary salty, tangy and sweet flavors.

Personally, I dislike salad dressings as I don’t like the taste and slick of oil on my salad greens. I love a balsamic dressing that is properly emulsified or a balsamic glaze and both go well with this salad. Alternately, I use a squeeze of lemon juice.

If you prefer a salad with more protein why not check out the vegetarian salad recipe or summer salad recipes with chicken or seafood below:

• Tricolor quinoa salad with pomegranate, walnuts and feta
• Chicken salad with cherry tomatoes, olives and artichokes
• Crayfish salad with avocado, red cabbage and cucumber

Disclaimer: Nutritional information for the recipe is an approximation and varies according to the ingredients and products used. If you liked the recipe above please consider rating the recipe and leaving a comment below.

Also keep in touch on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram for more updates. Don’t forget to share the recipe with your family and friends and #tantalisemytastebuds if you share one of my recipes that you made on Instagram!

Want more?