This strawberry salad dressing is sweet, tangy and a delicious accompaniment to any salad. It is ready in only a couple of minutes, and is perfect drizzled over leafy greens.
I know we are past prime strawberry season, but I had to share this yummy strawberry salad dressing recipe. I made it the other night and had forgotten how good it was! Also, see below for dietetic advice on fresh vs frozen fruits and vegetables and the surprising benefits of one over the other.
The pink color and refreshing taste of this dressing really brightens up any salad. Best of all, it’s made with just a few simple ingredients: fresh strawberries, olive, oil, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, and honey. You can use perfectly ripe strawberries, however I prefer saving the fresh ones and using older, overripe fruit. All of the ingredients are thrown into a blender and pureed into a creamy tangy dressing so you’ll never know the difference. Feel free to use frozen strawberries as well. Just make sure they are adequately thawed first.
Are frozen fruits and vegetables as healthy as fresh?
A question I get a lot as a dietitian is how do fresh fruits and vegetables compare with frozen ones with respect to nutritional value? Most people are shocked to hear that frozen fruits and vegetables are just as nutritious, if not more nutritious than fresh. This is because the produce is picked and flash frozen right away, leaving all the vitamins and minerals intact.
On the other hand, fresh produce travels from farm, to warehouse, to the grocery aisle. Fresh produce then sits on grocery shelves and then spend time sitting in your refrigerator until eaten. During this long travel time produce are exposed to air and light which causes chemical changes in its composition. This in turn decreases the nutrient value.
The short answer to this debate is that consuming more fruits and vegetables is always a good thing. Frozen is an excellent choice because it retains all the nutrients because it is picked at peak ripeness and flash frozen. When you buy fresh produce be sure to eat them as soon as possible. Even better, seek out local farmers market because produce is usually picked from the farm that day (plus you will be supporting local farmers which is always a plus!)
Either way, everyone should eat at least the daily recommended servings of 2 cups of fruit and 2 1/2 cups of vegetables everyday! I like to stock my freezer with frozen fruits and vegetables for nights I am busy and don’t have fresh produce on hand.
Other benefits of frozen fruits and vegetables:
- Convenience- they require no prep and are easy to add to meals. They are pre-washed and usually precut which saves time.
- Simple ingredients- if you look at the ingredient list be sure there are no additional ingredients added (especially sugar)
- Cost effective- frozen fruits and vegetables are usually less money than fresh
- Frozen fruits and vegetables last longer then their fresh counterparts
- Enjoy out of season fruits & vegetables
This strawberry salad dressing is delicious and nutritious. I highly recommend adding it to your list of recipes to try. Use either frozen strawberries or fresh picked one during the summer months!
Strawberry Salad Dressing
Ingredients
- 11-15 strawberries washed & stems removed
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. You may have to add more strawberries depending on what size they are.
- Taste the dressing and add more strawberries to achieve desired thickness and taste. (most of my strawberries were on the small end so I did closer to ~14 strawberries). If you added too many and the dressing becomes too thick, just add some water.
- Serve & enjoy! Refrigerate leftovers in a tightly sealed container for up to four days.
Nutrition Facts
If you love my Strawberry Dressing recipe, check out these great salad dressing and salad recipes too:
- Watermelon, Arugula and Feta Salad
- Homemade Greek Dressing
- Arugula Spring Salad with a Lemon Honey Vinaigrette
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