Spicy Tuesday – Strawberry and Asparagus Salad – Basil

Both of us are big fans of seasonal foods. With spring upon us, this means that both strawberries and asparagus are in season. This easy to make and gorgeous salad is a recipe to add to your recipe file – Delicious, Different and Full of Flavor!

The zippy taste of basil adds lots of pop to this salad – Basil is a top herb of choice for us because of the essential oils it has in it. They are known for their anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Basil is also an excellent source of Vitamin A and iron.

Strawberry and Asparagus Salad

2 Cups Strawberries, Stemmed

¼ Cup Fresh Lemon Juice

1 TB Dijon Mustard

½ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Black Pepper and Sea Salt to Taste

3 Cups Quinoa, Prepared

12 Asparagus Spears, Roasted and Chopped

2 Ripe Avocados, Chopped

¼ Cup Chopped Basil, Chiffonade

4 Cups Baby Arugula

½ Cup Chopped Toasted Almonds

Step One To make the dressing, roast the strawberries on a aluminum foil lined sheet tray, sprayed with nonstick spray – 10 minutes in a 400F oven.
Remove from the oven and let cool briefly. Coarsely Chop.

Step Two Whisk the juice, mustard & oil together. Add the strawberries. Season with salt & pepper.

Step Three To make the salad, gently combine the quinoa, asparagus, avocados and basil together.

Step Four Spoon the quinoa over a bed of arugula, and drizzle with dressing as desired. Top with almonds and basil.

Have you ever roasted berries before? Just like with veggies, roasting berries concentrates the flavor, making them even more delicious and sweet – when you take them out of the oven – they smell like fresh berry pie!