If you’ve been craving bright, fresh, seasonal ingredients that taste like Spring, I have the perfect salad for you.  Sweet strawberries, creamy avocado and crisp shaved fennel are layered on delicate bibb lettuce leaves and dressed with a lime-ginger-mint vinaigrette.  Finished with a drizzle of honey and a sprinkle of sea salt, this salad makes a light, satisfying lunch or delightful first course for a Spring inspired menu.

Strawberry Avocado Salad with Fennel and Mint

serves four

• 1/3 cup grapeseed or canola oil
• 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
• 1 tablespoon honey, plus more for drizzle (replace honey with 2 teaspoons agave if making vegan)
• 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon minced shallot
• 1 tablespoon chopped mint leaves
• 1 head Bibb lettuce, leaves torn into large pieces
• 1 small fennel bulb, fronds removed and shaved thin with a knife or on a mandolin
• 2 avocados, halved and sliced thin
• 8 ounces fresh strawberries, sliced

1. Whisk oil, lime juice, honey, ginger, shallot and mint together in a bowl.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Layer fennel, strawberries and avocado on lettuce leaves on four plates and dress with vinaigrette.  Drizzle each salad with honey and sprinkle with a bit of sea salt.  Garnish with fresh mint.

recipe and photos via the aesthete and the dilettante