Hey June, come make things bright and happy. Hello strawberry season with your sweet nectar, buzzing bees, and iridescent fireflies. Welcome salad season, we’ve missed you very much.
We’ve designed this baby greens strawberry and asparagus salad to pay homage to the arrival of the month on June. Where I come from, in central Italy, June is known for being the season of strawberries, and cherries toward the end. Enjoy this delicious salad with a slice of your favorite bread or over an herbed focaccia.
Prep Time: 15 min | Roast Time: 18-20 min | Serves: 4
Ingredients
Salad
- 4 cups baby greens (like kale and chard)
- 6 oz strawberries, fresh
- 1 lb asparagus, fresh
- 2 stalks of celery, with leaves
- 2 tsp lemon pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Dressing
- 1 lemon, juice and zest
- 4 tbsp tahini
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- dash of salt
- sprinkle of sesame seeds
Method
Strawberry salad
Roast 1 lb asparagus with the 1 tbsp olive oil, lemon pepper, and a dash of salt at 400°F for 15-20 min, depending on the freshness and size of the asparagus. Remove from the oven, and cut off the fibrous parts of the asparagus reserving only the spears for this recipe. You can keep the bottoms to make a pesto or toss them in the compost bin if you won’t utilize them.
Rinse and slice the fresh strawberries and celery stalk and leaves.
Put the rinsed and drained baby greens in a large salad bowl and add the strawberries, celery, and asparagus spears.
dressing
To make the dressing, blitz the tahini, 1 tbsp oil, a dash of salt, and the lemon juice in a blender. Toss the salad with the dressing and sprinkle the sesame seeds and lemon zest on top. Serve immediately.
EXTRAS AND TIPS
Try to make the sale salad using 1/2 part baby greens and 1/2 part microgreens as a twist to this recipe.
For a sweeter salad with less tanginess, use the heart of the celery as opposed to the outer, tougher stalks.
