Let me introduce you to my grain salad with strawberries, zucchini, and carrots dressed with balsamic vinegar.
It’s a summer dish that I had already shown you in photos two or three months ago… actually, let me explain better: I had shown on my Facebook page a rice salad dressed with vegetables and strawberries and balsamic vinegar that I had eaten (and with much satisfaction) in a deli with a restaurant not too far from my home. And ever since that day, I decided to try to remake it myself.
I waited for good, seasonal, and locally produced strawberries to arrive, and then I tried, with a few modifications to the recipe as I often like to do.
And today, after some delays due to some happenings (delays = builders and plumbers around the house), the recipe is ready!
Before the recipe, I’ll give you some explanations, if you’re interested (I hope so 😀).
My variations: firstly, instead of just rice, I used a 5-grain mix, which I find very suitable for a dish like this. Then – the more significant modification – I eliminated the shrimp that were present in the original recipe. Yeah, I know what you’re thinking!! but my husband doesn’t eat them, you have to adapt, right? 😀
Anyway, you should know that not all bad things come to harm – always assuming that not eating shrimp is a bad thing, considering dietary choices aside, they are allergenic and many people can’t eat them – because this way I obtained a vegan grain salad that is truly an excellent first course, fresh and pleasantly original thanks to the presence of strawberries.
And then I unveiled, ta-dah!, also a vegetarian version with crumbled feta, which transformed the vegan dish into a complete meal, very useful on hot days like those of this period.
Here it is, my grain salad with strawberries here in this first photo in the version with feta (then after the recipe I’ll show you the photo of the vegan version).
✰ ✰ ✰
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Very economical
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Cooking time: 12 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer
Ingredients
- 11 oz Grain Mix (wheat, rice, barley, spelt, oats)
- 10 strawberries
- 1 zucchini
- 1 carrot
- as needed Extra virgin olive oil
- as needed Balsamic vinegar glaze
- as needed Oregano
- 3.5 oz feta (optional)
Tools
- Pot
- Grater
- Salad Bowl
Preparation
Cook the grain mix in water for the time indicated on the package (mine had a cooking time of 12 minutes).
Wash and grate the zucchini and carrot with a coarse grater.
Wash and cut the strawberries into pieces.
When the grains are cooked, drain them, place them in a salad bowl, and dress with olive oil and oregano.
Mix, add grated carrot and zucchini.
Mix again, adjust the oil if necessary, and add strawberries, turning everything gently.
Place in the fridge to refresh for about an hour, not too long because it shouldn’t be too cold but just fresh.
When serving, plate and decorate each dish with balsamic vinegar in cream.
For aesthetic reasons, it is preferable to pour the vinegar just before bringing to the table, and without mixing (to avoid all ingredients taking on the dark coloration of the balsamic).
Suggestions:
We really liked both versions, with and without feta.
If you want to try the version with, I suggest adding the feta by crumbling it coarsely with your hands or mashing it with a fork.
If you want to try the original version with shrimp, I would cook them in a pan, with a little oil, sautéing them for a few minutes, perhaps sprinkling with some lemon juice.
Well, now I know that sooner or later I will also try to remake this recipe with shrimp! mmmm maybe when my husband has a business lunch out, perhaps it’s better 😀
Bon appétit to everyone!
Salt-Free Tips
I had already tried adding strawberries to a first course, it was this strawberry and pineapple risotto where I mentioned that the idea of adding salt to a recipe with strawberries (and pineapple) worried me a bit, i.e., fruit + salt doesn’t attract me much. Here, the same thing happens today, so no salt in this grain and strawberry salad! And then… if you make the vegetarian version, there’s already feta to add flavor, so don’t worry about daily sodium intake, you’ll certainly get enough even without salting. Moreover, remember to rinse the feta to remove excess due to the brine, please!
And now… my salt-free tips:
If you’re interested in reducing or eliminating salt, always remember to:
■ Gradually reduce the salt, the palate needs to get used to it gradually and shouldn’t notice the progressive reduction.
■ Use spices. Chili, pepper, curry, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, cumin…
■ Use aromatic herbs. Basil, parsley, oregano, thyme, sage, marjoram, rosemary, mint…
■ Use seeds. Sesame, pine nuts, almonds, walnuts…
■ Use spicy vegetables or fruit. Garlic, onion, lemon, orange…
■ Use my salt-free vegetable granules
■ Prefer fresh foods.
■ Avoid cooking in water, prefer cooking methods that do not disperse flavors (grill, foil, steam, microwave)
■ Do not bring the salt shaker to the table!
■ Occasionally allow yourself a break from the rule. It’s good for the mood and helps to persevere.
If you do not want, or cannot, give up salt:
■ You can still try my recipes by salting according to your habits.
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