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This Strawberry Balsamic Salad is the perfect gluten-free side dish to serve at your next gluten-free dinner party. (And before you ask, yes, strawberries are gluten-free)
The first thing I think people want to make with strawberries is a smoothie, second would be a dessert and everyone forgets that strawberries are delicious in salads.
Salads in general tend to be savory and I know there is a large debate on if sweet things should be added to salads. As a salty and savory lover myself, I say 100% sweet things like fruit and candied nuts belong in salads!
Why? Just like in this Strawberry Balsamic Salad, the sweet ingredients highlight the savory beautifully.
As a registered dietitian, I think everyone expects me to recommend them to eat salads with plain lettuce and vegetables. But the perfect salad has a combination of delicious ingredients that make your tastebuds happy and keep you full.
In the case of this Strawberry Balsamic Salad, I’ve got fruit, lettuce, vegetables, pickles, cheese (if you don’t need this to be vegan), and a balsamic dressing to pull it all together. The carbs and fiber from the lettuce, fruit and vegetables with give you energy and support digestion.
Not to mention the fruit soaking in the balsamic dressing will give the dressing a bit more sweetness to share with the rest of the ingredients. Additionally the cheese (which you could substitute with avocado) and the balsamic dressing adds fat to keep you full and slow digestion so you’re not hungry in 30 minutes.
And the pickles add lots of flavor. If you’re not a fan of pickled cucumber you could also use pickled banana peppers, quick pickled carrots, or pickled red onions for a pop of color.
Right now this Strawberry Balsamic Salad is built to be a filling side or appetizer to an entree. That said, there are a lot of small changes you can make to adjust the recipe to your liking or to make it a meal.