Cucumber Strawberry Salad with Seeds

Our Cucumber Strawberry Salad is a real crowd-pleaser that will truly bring the taste of summer to your table. It is quick to make, oh so tasty and refreshing which makes it perfect for entertaining. 

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What I love about summer is the wonderful array of fruits and vegetables that are in season. And berries are one of my all time favourites - heavenly morsels of sweet summer deliciousness! 

In this salad we have added them to cucumber, avocado and crunchy seeds and drizzled them in our decadent lime and raspberry vinaigrette that you will fall in love with.

Let’s talk about the  Raspberry Vinegar

Raspberry vinegar is made from a base of raspberry purée and aged vinegar. 

I have tried many a gourmet and very, very expensive blends but the one that I have absolutely fallen in love with is Colovita (tasty and affordable to boot). The minute you open the bottle you will get a delicious waft of raspberry aroma - ahhh heaven! 

You should be able to find raspberry vinegar in the oil and vinegar aisle in your supermarket. It really and truly is worth the effort to find it for this dressing as it really adds something magical to this salad. But, it can be substituted with sherry vinegar if you absolutely can’t find it. 

What else can I use raspberry vinegar for?

Some other uses for raspberry vinegar:

1. Obviously great on salads especially leafy green ones or as a secret ingredient to coleslaws.
2. Use it as a marinade with some olive, oil Dijon mustard and garlic. Great for chicken or pork fillets and mushrooms.
3.  Sauté some prawns, shrimp or scallops with some butter and a smidge of garlic then add a splash of raspberry vinegar to finish.
4. Makes a wonderful addition to a red pepper sauce or to finish a cream-based sauce.
5. As a refreshing summer beverage in a glass of sparkling mineral water, with berries and mint.

Ingredients & variations for Cucumber Strawberry Salad

Base - we have used crunchy cool cucumbers as a base for this salad as they are readily available and so hydrating. As an interesting alternative you could try thinly sliced raw zucchini. 

Added Fruit -  We have used summer strawberries for their juicy sweetness but feel free to use any berries that take your fancy or even a mix of berries would be great here too.

Added Veg - We have also added avocado for its creaminess but also because the healthy fats in avocado will keep you feeling fuller for longer. Some chopped red pepper (capsicum) or some pickled red onion would also go well. 

Flavour - we have used the wonderful sweet or aroma of fresh mint as a flavouring but any soft aromatic herbs would work just as well. You could also try fresh basil or tarragon.

Crunch and protein - we have used a variety of seeds in this salads (pepita, sunflower seeds, linseeds, black & white sesame seeds). Any of your favourite roasted nuts would be great as substitute for the seeds try roasted almonds, macadamias or walnuts. 

Dressing - we have made a simple lime, raspberry vinegar and oil dressing for this salad but believe me the raspberry vinegar really elevates its taste.

Looking to Boost the Protein? 

To boost the protein and the satiety for this salad you could also try adding a tin of chickpeas or some crumbled feta, grilled chicken or shrimp (prawns). 

2 Easy Steps to Making this Salad

1CUT THE INGREDIENTS
Wash the cucumbers, trim, peel them and leave alternate green strips then cut into rounds.
Wash your strawberries first and then hull them, otherwise, they will become water-logged and lose their flavour. Then cut them into half or quarters if they are large.
Wash and peel your avocado then cut into large dice, squeeze some lemon juice on top to prevent browning.
Wash your mint leaves, shake off the excess water and pat dry. Pick the mint leaves from the stems.

2ASSEMBLE THE SALAD
Add all the chopped ingredients into a large mixing bowl, add the seeds and dressing ingredients, season with some sea salt and cracked black pepper. Toss to combine, taste and adjust seasonings according to your taste.
If you feel that your salad is a bit tart then you could add some sweetener (honey, maple syrup or liquid stevia).
Arrange in a salad bowl and serve immediately.

Some Serving Ideas

This salad was part of a girly lunch that I served with a an asparagus goats cheese tart. But, it is also great with grilled meats and makes a great barbecue side, also absolutely sensational with fresh seafood such as prawns, scallops, crab and lobster.

This is not a make ahead salad

This most definitely is a make it and eat it salad. Once you add the dressing, the strawberries will break down and soften, so it should be eaten soon after you make it.

If you desperately need to speed things up, then you could make the dressing in advance and keep it in a sealed container in your fridge.

You could also slice the strawberries and cucumbers then pat them completely dry and keep them covered in the fridge until you are ready to assemble the salad. Then just dice the avocado, add the seeds and dressing and toss together just before serving.

Looking for more summer berry salad inspiration?

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