Strawberry Romaine Salad with Green Apple

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This Strawberry Romaine Salad recipe is one of our favorites. Bursting with flavor and super healthy it’s a winning dish as a stand-alone dinner, as a side salad, paired with some lovely protein or as a healthy lunch option

Strawberries in salads must be one of the most under-utilized combination that exists in the Salad world. In fact, I’d go so far as to say berries in general are under appreciated in a good Salad. Depending on where you live in the world hopefully you can get your hands on some fresh Strawberries to make this recipe. Obviously Strawberries vary in terms of flavor depending on their seasonality so the best time of year to make this recipe is when Strawberries are at their best – typically in the summer months

The addition of Green Apple adds a brilliant contrasting sourness to the Strawberries in this Salad. Those contrasting flavors work wonders together and adds a level of depth to this Salad which is so satisfying to eat

Make a simple vinaigrette and keep this recipe in your back pocket for countless salads you’ll then make

The key to making a delicious Salad at home is all in the vinaigrette. There is absolutely no need to buy salad dressing from the store, because making your very own dressing is so easy. You only need three ingredients for a basic vinaigrette which works for almost every salad combination imagine

1. Every good Salad dressing needs acid

Acid is what brings a Salad to life. That freshness you taste when you bite into a beautiful salad doesn’t just come from the fresh produce you’re eating. The natural acids that are used in salad vinaigrettes and dressings are what bring the best flavors out of fruit and vegetables. You can use either Lemon Juice or a Vinegar in Salad. Or, like this Strawberry Romaine Salad recipe, you can use a combination of both

2. Good quality Olive Oil is a must

Olive Oil provides the balance to the acid in the dish. Olive Oil is fat. Fat and acid go together exceptionally well. Think about the best Fish and Chips you’ve eaten. The fattiness that the Oil brings to the fish batter tastes great. But, add some Fresh Lemon Juice or Vinegar to it, the flavor is out of this world!

Good quality Olive Oil has its own flavor and will complement the Salad with a luxurious flavor and texture. Our advice is to try a bunch of Olive Oils to see which one you prefer. Try simply dipping a little bit of Bread into some Oils to taste them. Once you’ve found the one you like, keep it aside and use it only for making Salads, not for any other cooking which requires Oil

3. Seasoning

Like any good recipe, add seasoning to your vinaigrette to elevate all of the flavors. Not only in the Salad Dressing, but for the entire salad. It may seem strange to be adding Salt to Salad, but it’s what every great salad in every restaurant does. Try it for yourself and notice the difference that adding a bit of salt to your salad makes

Adding a teaspoon of Dijon Mustard is an optional addition to this vinaigrette, but we think it’s amazing

Good quality Dijon Mustard is as much a staple in this salad dressing as Olive Oil is. The Dijon Mustard adds not only a subtle, creaminess to the Salad but a beautiful flavor. Dijon Mustard has a lovely tangy flavor. It’s sharp, but not overpoweringly so like other Mustard types (eg: Hot English)

Try adding a spoonful of Dijon Mustard to your vinaigrette and see for yourself just how much it can impact the overall flavor of the salad

Strawberry Romaine Salad with Green Apple Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 Green Apple, cored and diced
• 3 cups Romaine Lettuce, chopped
• 2 cups Strawberries (approx. 10 oz.), halved and stalks removed
• ½ Red Onion, finely sliced
• 4 tbsp. Olive Oil
• Juice of 1 Lemon
• 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
• 1 tbsp. Red Wine Vinegar
• Salt and Pepper
  
  

Instructions

1. Begin by creating a vinaigrette, combining the Olive Oil, Dijon Mustard, Red Wine Vinegar, Lemon Juice, 1 tsp, Salt and ½ tsp Pepper into a Bowl. Whisk well to combine all of the ingredients
2. Add the Romaine Lettuce and Red Onion to the bowl. Coat thoroughly and leave for a couple of minutes, just to let the Vinaigrette begin to incorporate nicely into the Onion and Lettuce
3. Finally, add in the Strawberries and Green Apple. Toss Salad well then serve immediately
   
   

We hope you’ve enjoyed this lovely Strawberry Romaine Salad. It’s such a simple salad to make yet bursting with fresh flavors and those contrasting sweet / sourness from the Strawberry & Apple combination. This salad goes great with our Baked Salmon recipe which you can find here

If you’ve enjoyed making this salad we’ve got plenty more for you here. Here are a few of our all-time favorite salads that you should try out next time:

• Duck and Nectarine Salad
• Thai Mango Salad with Peanut Dressing
• Tabbouleh Salad with Couscous
• Tomato Strawberry Burrata Salad
  
  

Happy Cooking!