Summer Strawberry Salad

I am so excited to share this salad with you guys! Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been really working on planning my meals better and eating a bit healthier (emphasis on “a bit,” since there’s still ice cream in the equation). As I’ve geeked out and created weekly menus, complete with Excel spreadsheets, it’s lead me to a lot of great, healthy recipes to add in the mix. Out of all the yummy new dishes I’ve tried, this one has been my absolute favorite. Simple ingredients, fresh flavors, and—best of all—super quick to prepare. Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: Lots of shredded romaine lettuce.

Step 2: Some fancily-arranged avocado.

Step 3: Fresh, crunchy cucumber.

Step 4: Beautiful, juicy strawberries.

Step 5: Cottage cheese.

That’s right, cottage cheese. Along with the moisture from the avocado, cucumber, and strawberries, the cottage cheese functions as the dressing for this salad. I know it sounds a bit odd, but trust me, it’s surprisingly delicious.

Finally, Step 6: Chopped, toasted pecans.

And that’s it! Quite possibly one of the easiest salads I’ve ever made and yet also quite possibly one of the most delicious. Personally, I love the the cottage cheese in place of a dressing, since even vinaigrettes can sometimes taste a little too heavy and savory. This easy combination of fresh ingredients makes for a refreshing, delightful summer salad.

Do you have any favorite salad combos? What are your go-to summer munchies? Tell me in the comments!

Summer Strawberry Salad

Recipe Adapted from The Undressed Skeleton

Printable Recipe

For 1 serving:

1/2 head romaine lettuce, roughly chopped or shredded

1/2 avocado, pitted and sliced

1/4 cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced

3 strawberries, stemmed and sliced

1/3 cup cottage cheese

1/4 cup chopped toasted pecans

1/2 teaspoon freshly-squeezed lemon juice

1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt, to taste

Mix sliced cucumber with lemon juice, set aside.

To assemble the salad, first fill a plate or bowl with romaine lettuce. Arrange layers of avocado, cucumber, and strawberries on top. Add cottage cheese and salt, then sprinkle with toasted pecans.

Serve immediately.