Strawberry Red Pepper and Cucumber Salad

“A zesty, homemade strawberry vinaigrette adds a sweet and sour surprise to this salad. With fresh, seasonal goodies, such as sweet red pepper, cucumber and strawberries, you hit the flavour jackpot and can savour nature’s awesomeness.”

Difficulty

Intermediate

Yield

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

2 cups mixed greens or spinach1 cucumber, sliced in half moons1 cup red pepper, diced2 cups strawberries, sliced1/4 cup sunflower seeds

Ingredients

1 cup strawberries, tops removed2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar6 tablespoons olive oil1 teaspoon honey

Equipment

Cutting boardParing knifeMeasuring cupsMeasuring spoonsBlenderMixing bowls of various sizesTasting spoonsDish towelTongsSpatula

Gather your mise en place; get together all of the equipment needed for the recipe and gather your ingredients.

Combine all ingredients for the dressing, except for olive oil, into a blender and blend until smooth. Slowly pour in olive oil while blending, then remove and check seasoning.

Cut the cucumber first in half horizontally, then into thinly sliced half moons.

For the strawberries, remove the green tops and slice thinly across.

Dice the red pepper into pieces about the size of your fingernail.

In a mixing bowl, combine the greens with the cucumber, red pepper, strawberries and sunflower seeds. Toss gently with strawberry vinaigrette to taste.