Summer Salad Days...Featuring Sunshine Salad with Strawberry-Lemon Vinaigrette #salad #eathealthy #berries #proscuitto #bluecheese

 Salads are a staple of my Summer menus! I love to combine salad greens, fruit, cheeses, nuts, and some kind of protein...then toss everything with a flavorful homemade dressing just before serving. My Sunshine Salad with Strawberry-Lemon Vinaigrette is a perfect example of this blueprint. It's bursting with fun flavors and textures -- including a zingy homemade vinaigrette that features strawberries and lemon, white balsamic, and olive oil. This big-flavor salad also features crumbled blue cheese, two kinds of berries, and salty proscuitto. The fruity dressing complements these flavors without pushing them into the background. Add some creamy avocado and sliced almonds for good measure...and this salad is a real winner!

Sunshine Salad with 

Strawberry-Lemon Vinaigrette

a Weekend Gourmet Original

Ingredients (makes 2 entrèes OR 3-4 side dish servings):

• 6 cups Spring Mix salad greens
• 2/3 cup chopped strawberries
• 2/3 cup blueberries
• 2/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
• 1/2 cup salted sliced almonds
• 2/3 cup chopped proscuitto
• 1 medium avocado, chopped into bite-sized pieces

For the vinaigrette:

• 3/4 cup quartered strawberries
• 1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• Zest and juice of one lemon
• 1 tbs. honey
• 1 tbs. finely chopped parsley
• 1 clove garlic, grated or finely chopped
• Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Step 1: Make the vinaigrette. Add the strawberries, white balsamic, olive oil, lemon zest and juice, honey, parsley, and garlic to a blender. Blend until all ingredients are completely incorporated and the vinaigrette is emulsified. 

Step 2: Add salt and pepper to taste and pour the vinaigrette into a small glass jar. Reserve the dressing in the fridge until you're ready to assemble the salad. If covered with plastic wrap, the vinaigrette can be made up to 24 hours ahead.

Step 3: When you're ready to assemble the salad, toss the salad greens with 2 tbs. of the chilled strawberry-lemon vinagrette. Place the dressed greens on a large serving platter. Top the salad greens with the strawberries, blueberries, blue cheese crumbles, almonds, proscuitto, and avocado. Serve immediately with additional strawberry-lemon vinaigrette and cheese straws...or toasty French bread on the side.

This salad is definitely sunshine on a plate! Creamy avocado, crunchy almonds, juicy berries, salty-smoky proscuitto, and the tang of blue cheese perfectly combine with the sweetly tart vinaigrette to make one fabulous salad. It can be served as a light al fresco dinner...or as a side with grilled fish or chicken.