Salad with Strawberries, Radishes, Almonds & Strawberry-Balsamic Vinaigrette

Serves  6-8

 

For the vinaigrette:
(makes about 1 cup dressing, more than you’ll need for this salad)
1 cup roughly chopped strawberries (from about 6 medium-sized ones)
1 Tbl sugar
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 Tbl extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbl vegetable oil
kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Add the chopped strawberries, sugar and balsamic vinegar to a small sauce pot.  Simmer for about ten minutes, then remove from the heat.  Add the strawberry-balsamic mixture to a blender or food processor.  Blend until smooth.  With the blender/processor running, slowly add the oils.  Taste, then season as needed with salt and pepper.  Cool to room temperature.  Refrigerate in an air-tight container, up to a week.

For the rest of the salad:
1/4 cup very-thinly sliced red onion
9 oz baby spinach, stems plucked off
4 oz arugula, stems plucked off
1/2 head radicchio, sliced into 1/4-inch ribbons
8 radishes, washed and sliced into thin circles
12 medium-sized ripe strawberries, washed, cored and quartered
kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Place the sliced red onion in a small bowl and cover with cold water.  Soak about fifteen minutes, then drain.  (This removes some of the harsh oniony flavor.)

Place the onions, spinach, arugula, radicchio, radishes and strawberries in a large mixing bowl.  Drizzle about a quarter cup of the vinaigrette over the top, and season with a sprinkle of salt and a few grinds of pepper.  Toss well to combine, and coat everything with the vinaigrette.  Taste a leaf.  Add more vinaigrette, or more salt or pepper, if needed.  Transfer to a serving bowl or platter and serve immediately.


SERVED AT THIS DINNER PARTY

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