Thursday 25 January 2018

Strawberry Salad


Hands up anyone who goes bonkers at sight of strawberries!  I am one of them. Strawberries are so pretty aren't they? But my experience with strawberries have not been pretty until I met Korean strawberries.


There was  time whenever I see strawberries, I would buy a box only to be disappointed. They were either tasteless or incredibly sour.


And then one day I was gifted with a box of Korean strawberries. Wow. What a difference. They were sweet and tasted like what I expected strawberries to taste like. From then on, whenever Korean strawberries are available, I would not hesitate to spend my hard earned money on them.



Last week, I spotted some Korean strawberries at Jaya Grocer. But the fruits were quite pale. Then I went to have a peek at a fruit shop located outside Jaya Grocer. Ah! These were very red and cost RM1.00 less.


I bought two boxes and when I got home I tasted one and yes, it was juicy and sweet. These are great eaten just like that but I remember enjoying a Strawberry Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette which I made some two years ago.



Since I had half a bottle of Balsamic vinegar in the kitchen, I decided to make the salad again. Again, I used siew yoke (roasted oinks) as my protein and those convenient ready-washed salad leaves for the greens.



I made extra Balsamic vinaigrette so that I could enjoy more salad during the week. The thing about Balsamic vinegar is that it is quite strong, so a little goes a long way. It is also sweet, and you could add some honey if you like your dressing on the sweeter side.

Strawberry Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
Recipe source : Adapted from A Beautiful Mess

For the vinaigrette :
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced (I used a garlic press)
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp freshly cracked pepper
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp honey

For the salad :
- Salad greens
- Strawberries, each sliced into two
- Red onion, thinly sliced
- Cucumbers, thinly sliced
- any protein of your choice, I used roasted pork

Method :
1. To make the vinaigrette, put all the ingredients into a blender and blitz until emulsified. Pour into a container and use immediately or store in the fridge for later.
2. To make the salad, assemble all the salad ingredients into a mixing bowl and toss with enough dressing to coat all the ingredients.

30 comments:

  1. I think my girl likes these Korean ones, she loves strawberries...and anything and everything Korean. I'm not into either. LOL!!!

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    Replies
    1. Well, that's two things she doesn't share in common with daddy :)

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  2. Wah..complete nutrisi dah ni PH..ada protin,serat...menarik kalerful gitew..
    Bila makan tu ada lak unsur crunchy tergigit timun tu kan..krup krak gitu

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    Replies
    1. Seronok bila makan, Lina. Letak is ayam rebus pun sedap.

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  3. I will go for the Korean strawberry and not any where....

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  4. I like strawberries too but, like you, I tend to find them sour or bland. So, the key is to go for Korean strawberries...gotcha! I think Japanese strawberries should be good too. I see you have a bottle of balsamic vinegar too (I threw my expired bottle away just recently). They say strawberries and balsamic is a match made in heaven! ;) I've seen chefs cook the strawberries down with balsamic and sugar and spoon that on top of ice cream/yoghurt/fresh cream/whatever as a dessert :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, go for Korean strawberries, you'll taste the difference. I haven't tried the Japanese ones yet. Oh ya, I have also seen on TV how the chef chops up strawberries and toss them with balsamic vinegar. I should try that one day and see how it goes :)

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  5. I love to eat salad with strawberries! Even the American & Aussie way of dipping fresh berries into cream & sugar tastes heavenly.
    Sadly, they have to pluck early & export the non-ripened strawberries to Malaysia. The best is to eat them riped in Japan, Korea and China where they cost less than RM10 a big box.

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    Replies
    1. Ah Hong Chee got no chance to eat just-ripe strawberries :( In the meantime the Korean strawberries keep me happy.

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  6. i also agree that strawberries are very much hit and miss in KL supermarkets :D ooo, siu yok and fresh strawberries - not a combination i can remember having before! :D

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    Replies
    1. I think siu yok and strawberries get along very well!

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  7. In that case next time I will also look for Korean strawberries... just thinking of the sour ones now is making me squirm.. is that the word to use? LOL...

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    Replies
    1. hah..hah... Try Korean strawberries and you will agree with me that the are the best!

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  8. Both my hands are up! I love, love, love to eat strawberries and strawberry flavours in most food. But I don't think I have eaten any strawberries in salad before. Must be very tasty!

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    Replies
    1. Good, good! Just the other day I had a strawberry and vanilla panna cotta at 2nd Floor in TTDI. I think you will love it as much as I did.

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  9. I love strawberries but have not try them in salad! Your bowl of salad looks delicious!

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    Replies
    1. It was good and I would make again if the Korean strawberries are available.

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  10. Don't those strawberries look gorgeous? I mean Photo #5, look at them, so bright red!

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  11. Kan.... kadang kadang stroberi mmg ada yg masam, kesian I terkerut kerut dahi sambil makan haha....
    Menariklah salad U LL,, cantik kalerful..... lama i tak makan sayur you !

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Next time, nampak jer Korean strawberry, mintak Pak King beli, OK? hee..hee...

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  12. I like strawberry but seldom have it in salad. Either in desert or smoothies. Lol.

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    Replies
    1. Not so common to see it in salad but it's really nice.

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  13. Wow, cantiknya, gorgeousnya..
    Tapi mcm you juga, kalo beli strawberry I selalu disappointed, masammmmm.
    Tapi ni I dah tau about Korea strawberry ni, kalo jumpa I pun nak beli lah.

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    Replies
    1. Sekarang ni yang lain PH dah tak pandang. Pilih yang Korean sahaja hah..hah...

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  14. I'm hooked to Korean strawberries since my 1st try. Don't ever buy Australia one although it is bigger, a lot bigger but tasted sour >_<
    I just bought a box from Jaya Grocer too, quite "white" but they tasted sweet nonetheless.

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    Replies
    1. Today I tried to get some but no stock :(

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