Strawberry Salad

Strawberry Salad

Serves4
Cooking time 30m

This sweet and savoury salad combines juicy strawberries with toasted hazelnuts and a decadent balsamic vinaigrette sweetened with vanilla bean. Toss with baby spinach and enjoy a simple yet sophisticated first course or side dish.

Ingredients

Dressing

2 Tbspbalsamic vinegar

1 Tbsphoney

1/2 cupolive oil

1/2 vanilla bean

salt and pepper, to taste

Salad

1 punnetDriscoll's strawberries

1/2 cupcrushed hazelnuts

1 Tbspolive oil

1/2 tspKosher salt

1 bunchbaby spinach

Method

  1. Dressing

    Cut vanilla bean lengthwise in half and scrape out seeds with a small knife. Put bean pod and seeds into a small saucepan with balsamic vinegar. Gently steep mixture until barely simmering. Let cool and strain to remove pod and seeds. Add honey then whisk in olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

  2. Salad

    Preheat oven to 205°C. Toast hazelnuts 3 to 6 minutes or until just lightly golden. Toss warm hazelnuts with oil and salt. Hull strawberries and cut in quarters. In a large bowl, gently toss baby spinach, strawberries and hazelnuts together. Stir dressing then add to salad before serving.