Spring means greens! Salads! Strawberries! Maple vinaigrette.... ok maybe not that, but put them all on a plate together and you'll have your favorite spring salad.
Last week I sat down and planned out my life for the next 6-8 weeks. I wrote down all of the things I wanted to get done (both online and offline) before the baby gets here and thoughtfully assigned each week its tasks.
Over an hour later I looked at my schedule which contains, among other things, six "maternity leave" blog posts, 10 days worth of frozen dinners, a painted bedroom, several book reviews, my 4-year-old's birthday, and I suddenly got very overwhelmed.
And lazy. So I plopped myself on the couch, finished off a container of Nutella (with a spoon) and watched a couple episodes of Chopped.
Along with being apathetic and lazy, did I mention my sweet tooth is out of control this time around? Maybe that's why I love this vinaigrette so much. In my defense, I did cut the amount of maple syrup in half. (The original amount was double what it is in the recipe below -- good grief!) It's become one of my favorite salad dressings and is fantastic with a simple green salad with strawberries.
If you make one of my recipes, I'd love to see! Post it on social media and tag me at @perrysplate or #perrysplate so I can send you some love!
Spring Greens & Strawberry Salad + Maple Vinaigrette
Spring means greens! Salads! Strawberries! Maple vinaigrette.... ok maybe not that, but put them all on a plate together and you'll have your favorite spring salad.
Ingredients
- For the Maple Vinaigrette:
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 3 Tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- For the Salad:
- 5-6 fresh strawberries, tops removed and sliced
- ½ cup walnuts, pecans, or almonds, roughly chopped
- ½ cup goat cheese or blue cheese crumbles
- 12 ounces of spring greens salad mix
Instructions
- To make the vinaigrette: In a medium-sized bowl, combine the basil and mustard. Whisk in the vinegar, maple syrup, lemon juice, and garlic. Slowly pour the oil into the mixture while whisking. Whisk for about 15-20 seconds until mixture has emulsified and thickened slightly. Whisk in salt and pepper, adjusting to suit your tastes. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. (Makes about 1 ½ cups of dressing.)
- To make the salad: Toss about ⅓ cup of dressing with the salad greens and divide among plates. Add strawberry slices, nuts, and cheese over top.
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