strawberry salad with blue cheese dressing

There is a glut of strawberries this year because of the phenomenal weather we had at Easter. I love this early summer salad of strawberries and spicy watercress. Toasted almonds add a nice nutty crunchiness to contrast with the creamy blue cheese dressing and the bitter and peppery watercress.


Gorgonzola is a creamy blue cheese from the north of Italy. You could make this salad with any other blue cheese, but Gorgonzola is a mild cheese and is much less salty than other blue cheeses, (although Blue Brie or Cambozola might be a good alternative).

Serves 6

Skill level: Easy


ingredients:
dressing
60g Gorgonzola cheese (softened at room temperature)
110g natural yoghurt
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil
salad
2 x Little Gem lettuces, rinsed and dried
1 x handful of rocket, rinsed and dried
1 x bunch watercress, washed and stemmed
10 x fresh mint leaves, finely shredded (or more to taste)
400g strawberries, washed, hulled and sliced
salt to taste
120g slivered almonds, toasted
flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped


directions:

1. Begin by making the dressing: Put the Gorgonzola into a food processor, and whizz it up until soft and smooth.
2. Pour the runny cheese into a bowl and then whisk in the yoghurt, lemon juice and olive oil. If it is too thick, you can whisk in up to about 1 tablespoon of water. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then set aside.
3. Make the salad: Tear up the lettuce into large bite-sized pieces.
4. Put lettuce, watercress, mint and berries into bowl. Season with a little salt.
5. Add the dressing and mix well to combine.
6. Arrange on 6 plates and dress with the toasted almonds and fresh parsley.