This pea & strawberry salad with tarragon vinaigrette is brightly coloured, filled with summer goodness and utterly delicious. I’m having it on repeat and I hope you will too!
Though I love salads year round, during late spring and throughout summer especially, I become almost obsessed with them. It may be the heat, or the longer days, but I think it’s mostly the abundance of brightly coloured, juicy and soft produce available. All berries, watermelon and grapes too make a frequent appearance and most often take centre stage.
Most salads I make don’t follow an exact recipe, but rather rely on layers of ingredients and flavours. I usually start with fresh greens (crunchy gem lettuce, watercress, rocket or baby spinach) and herbs too, which oftentimes I don’t even bother chopping; when added whole they also work as leaves, instantly adding so much flavour; then there’s fruit, whole or halved or quartered, a handful of them squeezed between my fingers, gifting their precious juices to a simple vinaigrette. Aim for 4 parts extra virgin olive and one or two parts acid (lemon or lime, or both, cider or balsamic vinegar, red or white), maybe a little mustard, some grated garlic and a generous pinch of sea salt and freshly ground pepper too and you’re golden - though I often add fresh herbs here also.
So I did in this pea and strawberry coupling: fresh tarragon (which I find inexplicably underused - it’s so subtle and powerful all at once, making for an almost intoxicating addition to anything), finely chopped and tossed with extra virgin olive oil, lots of it, as I think peas need it, a little white balsamic and lime too (both juice and zest) as we’ll need the extra acidity to balance out the sweetness of the strawberries and buttery peas, a drizzle of maple syrup and sea salt flakes too. The best and easiest way to bring everything together is a jar: shake it vigorously and set aside until right before serving the salad. While the latter is best served cold, the vinaigrette should be at room temperature.
You can add lots more here (cherry tomatoes, green beans, feta crumbles or grated parmesan, nigella seeds or toasted almond flakes), but I rather prefer it just so: the pinkish red and the bright green, dotted only by the golden drizzle. Beautiful and, most importantly, beautifully simple.
Pea & strawberry salad with tarragon vinaigrette
WHAT
300g strawberries, halved or not depending on their size
400g frozen peas
for the vinaigrette:
200ml extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp white balsamic
1 lime, juice and zest
1 tsp maple
1-1/2 tsp sea salt flakes
HOW
Put all the vinaigrette ingredients in a jar and shake to combine; set aside.
Blanch the peas (first put in a pot of boiling water for 2’, drain in a colander, then run under very cold water; drain again and tip in a serving plate.
Add the strawberries and then drizzle with the vinaigrette; toss gently to coat and serve.