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Arugula Strawberry Salad with Toasted Hazelnuts and a Hibiscus Vinaigrette Recipe:

4 - 6 Servings

Ingredients

  • 1/4 Cup Toasted Hazelnuts - ground - or to taste Instructions below
  • 8 Cups Arugula
  • Strawberries to taste I used 8
  • 1/4 Cup or more Roquefort Blue Cheese or Gorgonzola

Hibiscus Champagne Vinegar

  • 1/2 Cup Dried Hibiscus Flowers
  • 1/2 Bottle Champagne Vinegar I used 12.7 oz. Napa Valley Naturals

Hibiscus Vinaigrette -

  • You can make half of this recipe if you don't want extra.
  • 1/3 Cup Hibiscus Champagne Vinegar
  • 1 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 Teaspoon Dijon Mustard
  • 2 Teaspoons Pure Maple Syrup
  • 1 Small Shallots or 1 Tablespoon - minced
  • 1 Large Garlic Clove or 1 Teaspoon - minced
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt
  • 1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper

Instructions

Vinegar

  1. Prepare this 4 days to a week ahead.
  2. Add the hibiscus flowers to a jar and pour the vinegar over the hibiscus.
  3. Let sit for 4 days to a week. (I did a week) Strain into another jar.
  4. Save the hibiscus soaked flowers for other recipes.

Vinaigrette

  1. While the nuts are toasting, make the vinaigrette.
  2. In a bowl of a blender or food processor, add the hibiscus vinegar, mustard, maple syrup, and pepper.
  3. Turn on the blender/food processor and slowly add the oil. (Or, add ingredients to a bowl and puree using an immersion blender.)
  4. Mince the shallot and garlic, and whisk them into the vinaigrette. Set aside.

Hazelnuts

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  2. Spread the hazelnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet.
  3. Bake for 10 – 14 minutes.
  4. In about 5 – 7 minutes stir the nuts so they toast evenly while also checking on the progress.
  5. When hazelnuts are cool, put in the center of a towel and pull corners of the towel together and roll hazelnuts around with some force until the skins come loose.
  6. A small amount of skin will remain on the nuts and that is fine.
  7. You can separate the hazelnuts that the skins didn’t come off and put them back in the oven for a few more minutes.
  8. Put the hazelnuts in a food processor and turn on until it's a coarse grind.

Salad

  1. Wash the arugula, slice or dice the strawberries, crumble the cheese with a fork and sprinkle on the arugula along with the ground hazelnuts.
  2. Serve with the hibiscus vinaigrette on the side.

Recipe Notes

If you don't feel like making the hibiscus vinaigrette it is also great with a squeeze of fresh lemon and a drizzle of olive oil.