Strawberry Macadamia Salad with Spicy Poppy Seed Dressing | Low-Carb, Vegetarian

The flavors of fresh strawberry and cayenne pepper balance one another out in this deliciously fresh strawberry macadamia salad with spicy poppy seed dressing! Perfect for date night, paired with wine and steak.

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Peace, family.

There seems to be an issue dividing our nation. Tax cuts? No. Employment rates? Nah. Federal budget? Wrong again. The matter at hand is whether or not fruit belongs on salad. Don’t roll your eyes; so many people feel very strongly one way or the other. I remember a few years back when I posted a recipe for a salad topped with grilled chicken and pomegranate. Y’all… my Facebook comments were in shambles! Some folks absolutely loved it and couldn’t wait to make it; some even made it the very same day! Others were flabbergasted and offended that I would even dream of defiling a delicious salad with fruit. Punches may have been thrown.

I’m of the school of thought that fruit does belong in salad. It may not go in every salad, but it definitely has its place. Mandarin oranges pair beautifully with spinach and/or arugula. I love the combination of pears and Balsamic Vinaigrette. Grilled pineapple can breathe life into an otherwise boring bed of greens. If you’re a fruit-in-salad hater then you may just need to experience to perfect combination to change your mind. Enter this Strawberry Macadamia Salad with Spicy Poppy Seed Dressing.

Strawberries

Start by selecting the highest quality of strawberries you have access to. They are the star of the show, after all. Strawberries are great because they’re naturally juicy and lend a mildly delicious sweet element to any salad. The sweetness in this salad is a welcomed balance, considering that the poppy seed dressing is spicy. Strawberries are a heart healthy fruit, and the beautiful red flesh adds an interesting visual component. Strawberries are even keto friendly – in moderation.

Macadamia Nuts

To me, macadamia nuts automatically upgrade any recipe they’re in, especially cookies. I even have a recipe for macadamia nut hummus that is super delicious. But we’re not talking about either of those right now. In this salad, they add much needed crunch and create interesting texture and flavor. One serving of macadamia nuts contains just 4 grams of carbs. Umm…yes!

Poppy Seeds

Call me naive, but I didn’t learn until I was pregnant with Cash that eating poppy seeds can cause you to test positive for opiate use. Insert wide eye emoji. Apparently, they contain traces of morphine – they’re a derivative of opium poppies. I read a nightmare of a story about a mom who lost custody of her newborn for three days after failing a drug test. Turned out, the positive result came from the poppy seed bagel she ate. It worked out in the end, but can you imagine? I cannot. Maybe I should have led with the good; poppy seeds are packed with tons of vitamins and minerals, as well as a signature flavor that is perfect in salad dressing.I used McCormick bran poppy seeds, and they worked just fine.

There are tons of recipes for poppy seed dressing out there, but I wanted mine to be a little different. I really love spice, so I added a dash of cayenne pepper to my recipe and was very pleased with how it turned out.

Again, the heat from the cayenne and the cool sweetness from the strawberries really balance one another out and compliment well.

This salad comes together in no time flat. The most time-consuming part is making the dressing, and that only takes about 5 minutes.

It’s valentine season and let me tell you – this makes for a great date night recipe, especially served alongside your favorite steak with a glass of red wine. 

Try it out and let me know what you think!

Peace,

Adri

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