Mixed Berry Buratta Salad with Peppered Strawberry Vinaigrette

It’s here! The sweet, juicy, sensual season that is BERRY SEASON! How do we know? Well SweetGre*n released their Berry Burrata Salad that honestly hits in the top 3 of my all time favorite salads from that chain. It’s quite perfect, but we can make it at home and better (maybe?).

Now, the star of this particular show is the vinaigrette. Most will shudder at the thought of dousing strawberries with black pepper and lime juice, but trust in the process. The acidity of the lime juice complements the sweetness of the strawberries. Now, the black pepper adds a stong aroma and pungenet flavor that brings the whole dressing together. It is ESSENTIAL that you use high-quality black pepper (if possible). Using one with oaky, sweet and/or tangy notes will help this dressing be the one of your dreams.

Like any salad shop, all the add-ins are up to you! But the most important part is that you SEASON EVERY SINGLE ADD IN YOU INCLUDE. That means your cucumbers, your tomatoes, etc. We season our cucumbers in this dish with olive oil, salt, pepper, and sumac for som tang, you feel?

Grab the freshest burrata you can find, garnish with pistachios, and enjoy!

Mixed Berry Buratta Salad

Yield: Serves 3-4

INGREDIENTS

{Peppered Strawberry Vinaigrette}

• 4-5 strawberries

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 1/4 cup lime juice

• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

• salt, to taste

{Salad Assembly}

• 4 cups kale/spinach/arugula and/or mixed greens

• 1/2 cup mint, chopped

• 3 tablespoons lime juice (about 1 lime)

• 1 cup strawberries, quartered

• 1/2 cup blueberries

• 4-ounces burrata

• 2 English cucumbers, halved and sliced

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 teaspoon sumac (optional but recommended)

• Salt/pepper, to taste

• 1/4 cup pistachios, chopped

DIRECTIONS

To prepare the dressing:

1. In a high-speed blender, add the strawberries, olive oil, lime juice, salt, and black pepper. Blend until combined

2. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking: add more black pepper for more kick, or salt if you’d like. Set aside.

   To prepare the salad:

   1. To a bowl, add your greens and mint. Squeeze the juice of 1 lime over the greens and add a pinch of salt. If using kale, use your hands to “marinate” and soften the kale. If using arugula or spinach, use utensils and toss to coat.

   2. In a small bowl, add the sliced cucumbers, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, sumac, and salt/pepper (to taste). Toss to coat.

   3. Top the greens with the strawberries, blueberries, seasoned cucumbers, burrata, and chopped pistachios.

   4. Garnish with the peppered strawberry vinaigrette.

   5. Toss to combine everything and serve with crusty sourdough bread.

   6. Dive in!

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