It’s a smile, it’s a kiss, it’s a sip of wine, it’s summertime!

Strawberry Avocado Salad

And summertime means it’s time for strawberries and avocados! I first found this recipe when I was living in Cape Cod last summer and it was one of the best things I’d ever eaten. I was starting to wonder if maybe it was just nostalgia, but when I fed this to Lauren last night she said, “Oh my God!” through a mouthful of spring greens and baby spinach.

The recipe calls for:

• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 teaspoons honey
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 2 cups torn salad greens
• 1 avocado – peeled, pitted and sliced
• 10 strawberries, sliced
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

We unfortunately did not have lemon juice at the time, and although I usually am not a huge fan of citrus (because it reminds me of elementary school bathroom cleaner) I really think that it adds something to this dish. BUT anyway, instead of torn salad greens, I bought a pre-made package of half summer greens and half baby spinach (yum!). I also remembered adding crumbled goat cheese the first time I made this thing, so I did it again and was NOT disappointed.  So you should do that, too.

Ok you start out by just mixing together the sugar, olive oil, honey, vinegar and lemon juice (if you have it).

I know this doesn’t look like much, but it’s the PERFECT mix of sweet and acidic! The next step is to mix the salad, avocado slices, strawberries, and handful of goat cheese. It’s so colorful!

Then just add in some nuts and drizzle the dressing over top. Yum! You have crunchy from the nuts, crispy from the salad, buttery from the avocado and goat cheese and sweet from the strawberries and dressing!