Welcome spring with a healthy strawberry salad from Nancy Lopez-McHugh.
By Nancy Lopez-McHugh
March 20 marked the official start of spring in the northern hemisphere. I love spring don’t you? Every year in early March I start waiting, with great anticipation, for the official arrival of spring. I feel as excited as a child does around Christmas, the anticipation is part of all the fun. But rather than material gifts the spring gifts come in the form of sunshine, warm breezes and bird songs. 
The windows no longer have to be tightly shut, after a long winter they slowly creak open to welcome the fresh breeze. The gentle spring breeze wafts through your home. There is a new smell in the air, the smell of the waking and blooming flours and trees.
Your walks around the neighborhood are no longer hurried ones. Now you want to take the time to stop, smell, point your face upwards towards the sun and gently smile to yourself. Spring is euphoric.
Spring is also a time of renewal. Watching nature blossom around you is inspirational and heart warming. It is a lesson that after a cold, dark time new life can flourish. It is a time to brush off the winter dust and get back on track.
My appetite begins to change from hearty, meaty meals to lighter healthier ones. Which after the long winter is a great way to get back on track. On the official start of spring I make a conscious effort to get back on track and shed the extra winter fat.
I get back on track by eating lots of fresh fruits, vegetables and as you see here, salads. Strawberries to me are the first sing that spring is right around the corner or has arrived. They are the first fruit of the warmer months. I can never get enough strawberries and I always look for ways to incorporate them into both sweet and savory dishes. This is my first strawberry recipe of the new season, a sweet, savory, tart, crisp, fresh, delicious and most important healthy salad.
Let’s welcome spring 2012 together and make the salad, shall we?
PrintStrawberry Spring Salad
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 2 1x
Description
Welcome spring with a healthy strawberry salad.
Ingredients
Salad amounts are to taste
- arugula
- maché
- strawberries
- grape tomatoes
- salt, ground black pepper
- sunflower seeds
Mustard Vinaigrette for 2-3 servings:
- 1 sprig of fresh thyme leaves only, crushed *
- 1 heaping tbsp whole grain mustard
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- pinch salt
- pinch pepper
- 1/8 or sprinkling turmeric
- pinch granulated garlic
- 1/4–1/2 tsp sugar, adjust to taste
Instructions
Salad:
- Run the greens, tomatoes, and strawberries over water. Pat dry and gently toss together. Sprinkle salt, pepper and sunflower seeds as desired.
* Place the leaves in the container first then crush with back spoon or pestle
- Place all of the vinaigrette ingredients in a small bowl or a sealable container. Mix or shake vigorously until well combine. Drizzle over salad as desired.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
