This warm salad is perfect for early spring. It has the jammy flavors of warm strawberries and the crunch of sugar snap peas, all with an easy 2-ingredient balsamic salad dressing.
I realized a long time ago that I like wilted greens. It was probably when I worked at my parents’ restaurants and my mom developed her warm spinach salad recipe.
Anyhow, I discovered back then that I really liked warm ingredients on a bed of greens. The greens don’t become as cooked or as wilted as when they’re cooked directly. But they do get softened just a little. That softness is especially beneficial to stronger-tasting greens. It seems to mellow them out a bit, making them less bitter without making them slimy.
Making A Warm Salad
The way I usually think about doing a warm salad is to make a salad dressing that is warm and then drizzling that onto the greens. However, I had some nice fresh strawberries from the strawberry patch nearby and I really wanted to see what would happen if I warmed them up.
What I discovered is that warmed up strawberries get a jam-like flavor. It’s pretty amazing. Also pretty amazing is that you can use strawberries that have gone a little past perfect. You know, where they’re starting to soften a bit, but they’re not moldy or anything like that yet. Warming them is intentionally making them softer, so it doesn’t matter as much if they’re soft to start with. And actually, slightly soft strawberries have a lot of deep flavor so bringing that out is a good idea.
The strawberries are sauteed with some sugar snap peas. They’re only sauteed for a short time though so they still have a lot of crunch, giving some nice texture to this salad.
Simple Balsamic Dressing
Finally, the dressing is pretty amazing and is also my mom’s recipe. This dressing is just two ingredients, balsamic vinegar and honey. You whisk them together until they’re fully incorporated and from there, they don’t ever separate or anything. So go ahead and make extra of this dressing. It’ll keep for a couple of weeks in the fridge. Just remember to bring it to room temperature before using.
As to the flavors in the dressing, balsamic is always delicious with a bit of sweetness and acidity. The honey adds viscosity the way that oil does to a dressing, and also lightens the sourness of the vinegar with some sweetness. The dressing recipe is on my sister site, TheCookful.com, over here. But since it’s just two ingredients, I’ve included it in the salad recipe below as well.
Enjoy!
PrintSautéed Strawberry Salad with Sugar Snap Peas
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 minutes
- Total Time: 8 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: Saute
- Cuisine: American
DESCRIPTION
This warm salad is perfect for early spring. It has the jammy flavors of warm strawberries and the crunch of sugar snap peas, all with an easy 2-ingredient balsamic salad dressing.
Ingredients
For the salad
- 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- 2 Tbsp. honey
- 8 cups of mixed salad greens
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 3/4 lb. sugar snap peas
- 1/2 cup whole unsalted roasted almonds
- 1/4 tsp. coarse salt
- 1 cup sliced strawberries
Instructions
- Measure the balsamic and honey into a small jar with a lid. Put the lid on and shake well until combined. Set aside.
- Divide the salad greens among 4 plates.
- Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the sugar snaps and almonds to the skillet. Sprinkle with salt. Cook and stir for a minute and then add the strawberries. Cook and stir for 2 more minutes, just until everything is heated through.
- Spoon the strawberries, sugar snaps, and almonds onto the greens.
- Drizzle the salad dressing over the salads.
Erin @ Dinners, Dishes and Desserts says
Love this salad, and the dressing sounds wonderful. Love how simple it is. I might actually make some tonight for my salad!
Amy says
Colon cancer is definitely rough and embarassing for those afflicted. I am so gratful to hear that your family members are survivors.
This recipe looks delicious! Perfect for a hot summer night.
Kim Beaulieu says
Christine thank you so much for joining us for this cause. I am so deeply touched by your support and kindness. Thanks for sharing this recipe and the story about your family with colon cancer. My aunt passed away of it years ago and with my colon issues I get tested every 2 to 3 years. So this recipe is perfect for me. I adore you woman!
Suzanne says
What a beautiful looking salad! The strawberries really pop among all the snap peas.
Michelle says
delicious! Thanks!
Christine Pittman says
Thanks Michelle! So happy you like it. Hmmm…I could make that when you guys next come over. Let’s try to find a date!
Susan says
What a beautiful salad Christine! I would never had thought to pair strawberries with sugarsnap peas but it sounds great.
Trish @infinebalance says
WOW. amazing idea to saute the strawberries too. That little bit of heat would make them so sweet.
Christine Pittman says
Exactly! They get almost jammy in flavor. But they’re cooked for such a short time that they aren’t mushy.
Jane's Adventures in Dinner says
I love that you sauteed the strawberries! You are just too clever.
Christine Pittman says
Why thank you, friend! They are pretty lush!
Katy Widrick says
I have to choose just one thing?
OK, I would make cupcakes. Because every batch I’ve tried has failed — I think because I can never whip up the butter the way it needs to be whipped.
Christine Pittman says
I'm terrible at making cupcakes too. Or baking sweets at all. I don't think I have the patience. And really, there are so many tasty cupcakes in the shops that it hardly seems worth it! But I do use my mixer a lot for breads and all kinds of tasty savory things. And I make ice cream, of course! Yum!
Camilla @ Culinary Adventures says
Christine, this looks absolutely delicious! It’s a pleasure to be part of this event with you.
Christine Pittman says
Right back at you, my friend!
Ramona says
Thanks for sharing your story with us today and making us more of us aware of colon cancer.. Your salad is so beautiful and would make anyone happy. :)
Christine Pittman says
Thank you Ramona. And thank you for sharing your story as well.
phyllis says
Cancer is a terrible disease for anyone to have to go through. Colon cancer however, is one of the cancers that can be prevented by screening from your doctor and eating healthy. Congratulations to Christi and her fellow bloggers for bringing healthy menu items for us to try.
Christine Pittman says
Thanks Mom! You’re right: screening and healthy eating. Hey, did you enter to win the giveaway? This giveaway is open to Canadian residents too so you totally can :)
SandyN says
I’d make some bread!!
Kerry Ann @Vinobaby's Voice says
I’ve fallen in love with strawberry salads this year. Love this different take and the homemade dressing. Yum!
Liz says
Such a gorgeous, healthy salad! And the dressing sounds amazing…I’ll definitely try it! Thanks for shiaring your story…
Angela says
What a gorgeous dish, Christine.
michelle says
Wonderful salad and great cause.
Katie says
Christine I love this salad. I would have never thought to make a “warm” salad using strawberries. The dressing sounds/looks amazing as well. What a beautiful tribute to your grandparents.
Cathy Pollak ~ Noble Pig says
What a beautiful salad and I love seeing this raising of awareness all over the net! Such a great cause. And I can’t wait to try this fat-free dressing, always a plus!
Christine Pittman says
It’s an amazing cause. It always feels good to be able to do something positive with the blog. Thank you for visiting today and for commenting.
Helene D'souza says
What a lovely and smart salad, I would definitely enjoy a plateful of your salad with your neat fat free balsamic dressing.