Summer Salad with Strawberry Rose Dressing is like taking a refreshing bite of summer with fresh in season berries, melons, stone fruits, avocado, crunchy sunflower seeds and a dreamy zippy strawberry rose dressing.
Do you ever have the dilemma if you should make a fruit salad or a savory tossed salad? You can have the best of both worlds with this refreshing Summer Salad with Strawberry Rose Dressing. We choose seasonal fruits and a mixed power greens for a diverse salad. The best part of this salad is you can mix and match whatever fruits and greens your little heart desires or look perfectly ripe at the market. If you like a fruity salad packed with protein, you may also enjoy our Quinoa Fruit Salad.
Zippy Strawberry Rose Dressing
Don't you love the sound of that? This salad dressing has it all going on. We pureed super sweet fresh strawberries, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, ginger and rose water until rich and creamy and dreamy. A little sweet from the fresh strawberries, peppy from the apple cider vinegar and ginger and a little aromatic from the rose water.
Summer Party Dish to Pass
This Summer Salad with Strawberry Rose Dressing is going to be the star of the BBQ, graduation parties, baby and wedding showers or just any excuse to gather with family and friends. It also makes a great tablescape. Who needs decorations when you can decorate your table with food!
You can feel good about eating this salad as it is filled with healthy greens, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals and fiber from the fruit and gut friendly apple cider vinegar. Summer Salad with Strawberry Rose Dressing is gluten-free and dairy free. If you would like to add a little protein to this salad, you can grill a little chicken, tofu or shrimp.
Rose Water
Rose water is an amazing addition to your kitchen and health routine. The aroma of roses is said to be a powerful mood enhancer. It rids you of feelings of anxiety and promotes emotional well-being, thereby making you feel more relaxed. In addition, if you place a drop or 2 on your pillow at night you will have much sweeter dreams and helps you achieve a more restful sleep,
Pink Power of our Summer Salad with Strawberry Rose Dressing
We love this salad as it super refreshing and it has “GIRLY” written all over it! Bright pink dressing, colorful salad and notes of aromatic flowers are just some of those girly traits. However, guys you are going to love this salad too as it just hits the spot on these super-hot dog days of summer. We are going to be up in the 90’s F (mid 30's C) again this weekend. Who the heck wants to cook? Not us! You will not have to turn on any burners, BBQ’s or anything that generates heat. The only appliance that is needed is a food processor. Since you have the food processor out, our delicious Strawberries with Cream Cheese Filling would be a perfect sweet ending to this light and lovely salad.
If you are going to be firing up the food processor you might as well make a cold and creamy Chocolate Pecan Butter Banana Ice Cream, or a Matcha Banana Strawberry Ice Cream Cup for a delightful naturally sweet ending to a meal.
We have been on a huge salad kick lately. How about you? Last week we enjoyed our Vietnamese Shrimp Vermicelli Salad . This week we made our super easy crab salad for lunches. If you enjoy the combination of fruits and greens in your salad, you are going to love our Tutti Fruitti Kale Salad and Citrus Honey Dressing.
Check out our Salad Recipes category for more recipe inspiration.
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Summer Salad with Strawberry Rose Dressing
Ingredients
Strawberry Rose Dressing
- 1 cup Strawberries
(washed green tops removed (perfectly ripe and sweet) - ⅓ cup Olive oil
- 3 tablespoon Apple cider vinegar
- 1 inch Ginger
knob peeled and grated (fresh) if using dried ground ginger reduce to ½ teaspoon - Salt
to taste - 1 tablespoon Honey (only if you need to or if strawberries are not as ripe as ours) To make vegan use Honee brand which is a vegan honey or just add a couple of dates if you need it sweeter.
- 1 teaspoon Rose water
(you can add more up to 1 tablespoon but found that this is an individual preference) – start out with just a few drops and increase to your desired effect.
Summer Salad
- 4 cups Power Greens
mix of baby kale, spinach, and chard (or any mix of greens of your choice) - 1 cup Strawberries hulled and cut in half
- 1 Nectarine large sliced – pit removed (drizzle a little fresh lemon over slices to prevent oxidation)
- 2 tablespoon Lemon juice just to prevent the nectarine and avocado from oxidizing
- ¼ Cantaloupe
whole small rind removed and sliced - 1 Avocado large sliced (and toss it lemon juice to prevent oxidation)
- ⅓ cup Sunflower seeds optional
Instructions
Make the Strawberry Rose Dressing
- In a food processor add strawberries, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, fresh ginger, salt and honey if desired. Add Rose water start out with just a few drops and then increase as desired up to 1 tablespoon depending on desired level. It is a very individual preference. We used only 1 teaspoon of rose water. It just depends on how floral you like your dressing. Blend well until very creamy and dreamy. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired (salt, honey (honee), or rose water) additions.
Assemble your Summer Salad
- Add your power greens to a large salad serving bowl, top with strawberries, nectarines, cantaloupe, avocado and sunflower seeds. (Don’t forget to toss your avocado and nectarine slices in lemon juice to prevent oxidation).
- Drizzle your dreamy creamy strawberry rose dressing over your summer salad and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Jimmy G says
This looks relly good for a cookout
HWC Magazine says
Thank you Jimmy. Very refreshing as a side dish or a main on these hot and steamy summer days.
Chef Mimi says
Love this! the salad is so pretty. But this vinaigrette is intriguing! I love rose water, but not too much. I think you have the perfect ratio here. Can’t wait to make this!
HWC Magazine says
Thanks so much Mimi. This summer salad is so refreshing on these warm days. You bet rose water needs to be handled with a very gentle hand, just a touch is all you need for a lightly floral berry dressing. Stay well and take care
Eha Carr says
You are teaching me new things, Bobbi ! I make salads almost every day, summer and winter, but have not much mixed fruit and vegetable sides ! And I am hugely careful about using rose 'anything' since I have had bad experiences with too much rose making ras el hanout far too 'icky' and unusable ! But I am game to try when strawberries are again more in season . . . so love both them and avocadoes - these are oddly far cheaper and more 'in season' during the winter months here !! Your salad looks absolutely beautiful and the dressing a newbie for me . . . so, thanks !
HWC Magazine says
Thanks so much dear Eha. We love salads too. This summer salad is especially refreshing. All the fruits and veggies we have been craving. We always start out very slow with rose water and just a small drop at a time until you reach the desired effect. No one wants to eat a rose flower. LOL Been there, done that too! Wishing you a super week ahead. Take Care