Basil Black Sesame Vinaigrette: your summer salad's new bestie
PLUS: some musings on strawberries.
Strawberries were my first love — and I imagine that anyone who grew up in Southern California can relate. Some of my earliest memories are of taking a massive bite of a strawberry right out of the basket on the way home from the La Costa Farms fruit stand: the tiniest prickle of seeds, slightly bitter skin, then a burst of sunshine. You know it’s a good strawberry when you can taste the sunshine.
Strawberries have been in season here for a minute, but I had a sudden NEED for a strawberry feta salad last week. Strawberry salads go wrong when they don’t have enough strawberries, and/or they’re too sweet. They should be bright. Fresh. With big bites of ripe strawberry in every forkful. Balsamic is fine but… boring? And I don’t want any kind of sweeter vinaigrette. At the Atwater farmer’s market this weekend, I had a revelation (one that I’m positive isn’t unique to me)—the strawberry feta salad of my dreams needed some kind of basil umami deliciousness. And voila! The Basil Black Sesame Vinaigrette was born.
Summer Strawberry Salad with Basil Black Sesame Vinaigrette
ingredients for the salad:
1 basket of peak season strawberries
1/2 bag of arugula (or lettuce mix of your choice, but I really like the peppery arugula)
1 block of feta in brine
1 ripe avocado (optional)
1 lemon
1/2 cup pecans
1 tbsp real maple syrup
Pinch of kosher salt
Good olive oil
ingredients for the vinaigrette:
Handful of washed fresh basil leaves
1 1/2 tbsp toasted black sesame seeds
1 tbsp white miso paste
1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp honey
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tbsp good olive oil
Pinch of kosher salt
Wash your strawberries by soaking in a large bowl of cold water with a splash of white vinegar.
Chop up pecans and place in a nonstick pan on low, watching and stirring consistently. Once fragrant, add maple syrup and stir until sticky. Dump on a pan lined with tin foil and sprinkle with kosher salt. Let cool.
Drain the strawberries and gently pat dry with a clean kitchen towel. Slice long-ways through the strawberries. Set aside.
Make the vinaigrette by combining rinsed basil leaves, black sesame seeds, white miso paste, apple cider vinegar, honey, lemon juice, and olive oil to a blender. Blend on medium to combine (no more than 20-30 seconds). Taste to season.
Dump arugula and diced avocado (if using) in an extra large bowl. Add juice of half a lemon, pinch of kosher salt, and a glug or so of good olive oil. Toss with your hands, making sure all ingredients are well combined.
Add strawberries, 3/4's of the feta cheese, and vinaigrette. Gently toss to combine.
Plate the salad and toss with the maple pecans and more cheese. Serve.
This vinaigrette is also fantastic with a salmon salad the next day:
This dressing is SUPER versatile. It would also be great in a California bowl, on a crudite platter, drizzled on an heirloom tomato (and I’m a tomato hater) or roasted summer squash — you get the idea.
Enjoy all the summer produce you can, and don’t forget that our food system is built on the backs of immigrants. Please consider donating to a detained immigrant bond fund to support of families affected by recent ICE deportations.
xx,
Mary