Strawberry Cucumber Salad with Maple Ginger Balsamic Glaze
This salad started out as a lunch or dinner side dish, but it’s been my go-to breakfast all week, with a sprinkling of crushed walnuts on top. It’s so refreshing, bright and flavorful; the strawberries, maple and ginger provide the perfect balance of sweet and tangy. Just wait until all of the flavors meld together a day after making this, and you’ll want to eat this all week too. Not only is this recipe refreshing and flavorful, it’s ready in minutes and contains few ingredients. All you have to do is chop the cucumber, slice the strawberries, peel and mince the ginger, then make the balsamic glaze. A tip for peeling ginger with ease, use a small spoon to scrape away the skin, instead of a knife.
So, take a trip to your local famers market, buy some organic strawberries, as they most commonly have the highest pesticide residue. I bought 2 lbs, but you only need about a 1/2 lb for this recipe (Yes, I love strawberries that much). Cucumbers ranked pretty high on EGW 2017 list of pesticide containing produce at #15. So, I recommend buying organic cucumbers as well, given that you’re eating this salad raw and you can’t wash off all pesticides when the residue amounts are high.
I know you’ll love this recipe and you’ll want to share it with friends! Please leave a comment and let me know your thoughts.
Strawberry Cucumber Salad With Maple Ginger Balsamic Glaze
Prep time: 5 mins | Cook time: 10 mins | Total time: 15 mins
Serves: 4
Ingredients
2 cups strawberries, sliced
1 large english cucumber
1 lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, chopped (or 1/4 teaspoon ginger powder)
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
Prep
Slice the strawberries, totaling 2 cups. I sliced mine into quarters, but feel free to slice as thick or as thin as you'd like.
Chop the cucumbers into small diced pieces. Don't peel the cucumbers (your glowing skin will thank you for this).
Make
Add the balsamic vinegar, lemon juice and maple syrup into a small pot.
Heat the pot to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Allow the mixture to simmer for about 10 minutes. The glaze will reduce to about half the original amount and when the sauce sticks to a spatula, it’s done.
Place the strawberries and cucumbers into a large bowl.
Drizzle as much or as little of the glaze over the salad. Serve immediately, or if you have time, refrigerate for an hour or more, then serve. You’ll have plenty of glaze left over to use at a later time. Store the glaze in an air tight container in the fridge. The glaze will harden, so heat in the microwave for ~30 seconds to soften.
Nutrition Info
71 calories (4 from fat), 0.5g total fat, 0g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 166mg sodium, 18g carbohydrate, 3g dietary fiber, 1g protein
Strawberry / Cucumber / Salad / Gluten Free / Healthy / Lunch / Dinner / Side / Honey / Ginger