It’s early August, people, and summer is in full force! This week, celebrate with this refreshing summer strawberry arugula salad!
So did you guys all watch the Olympic Opening Ceremonies last night? I’m such an Olympics nerd! I prefer to watch the Winter Olympics because I love to watch the skiing and the figure skating especially, but I still love watching the Summer Olympics too. Last night we had our friends over for a little “Opening Ceremonies Dinner Partay” and it was a blast! I absolutely love finding reasons to celebrate and throw impromptu dinner parties during these late summer weeks – the weather is absolutely perfect for it!
Related: Tangy Roasted Beet Salad Dressing
And this strawberry arugula salad is just about the perfect salad to serve at a summer dinner party, for real! I made a simple and refreshing strawberry arugula salad with almonds and a light orange and honey vinaigrette. The really extra tasty part is these croutons: I took a prepared log of polenta and sliced it into rounds, then grilled them to perfection on my new favorite toy. (Seriously in love with that grill pan. It’s so sturdy and heavy-duty, plus it comes pre-seasoned. We’ll have that piece forever!)
Related: Roasted Beet and Orange Salad
Now it’s your turn: what is your favorite Olympics sport and why? Share with me by commenting below!
- 8-9 oz. log of prepared polenta, cut into ½" slices
- 3 large handfuls arugula
- ¼ cup sliced almonds
- 1 ½ cups strawberries, sliced
- 3 tbsp. orange juice
- 1 tbsp. honey
- 2 tsp. champagne vinegar
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ tsp. kosher salt
- ⅛ tsp. white pepper
- Preheat grill pan to medium high heat.
- To prepare vinaigrette, combine orange juice, honey and champagne vinegar in a small bowl. Whisk in olive oil until emulsified. Season with salt and white pepper.
- In a large bowl, combine arugula, almonds, and strawberries. Dress lightly with vinaigrette as desired.
- Brush grill pan with olive oil and add polenta slices to grill. Grill about 3-4 minutes per side, until nice grill marks have formed. Serve with a mound of salad on top and extra drizzled vinaigrette if desired. Enjoy!