Strawberry Watercress Salad Recipe

Make quick pickled grapes

Place the halved grapes into a clean jar or bowl. In a small saucepan combine white wine vinegar, water, sugar, kosher salt, peppercorns and optional lemon zest. Bring the mixture just to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until sugar and salt dissolve. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes. Pour the warm brine over the grapes so they are fully submerged. Allow to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (up to 24 hours). Drain before using, reserving a tablespoon of the brine for the dressing if desired.

Whisk dressing

In a small bowl or jar combine fresh lemon juice, honey, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper. Whisk until honey and mustard are incorporated. Slowly drizzle in the extra-virgin olive oil while whisking continuously until the dressing is emulsified. Taste and adjust seasoning — add up to 1 tablespoon of the reserved pickling brine if you want a slightly tangier, saline note. Refrigerate until ready to use; whisk again before dressing the salad.

Toast the hazelnuts: heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Add the hazelnuts and toast, stirring frequently, 4–6 minutes until fragrant and lightly browned. Transfer to a towel, rub to remove loose skins (optional), then roughly chop and set aside to cool.

Prepare produce: rinse and spin the watercress dry, trim any thick stems. Hull and halve the strawberries. Halve the grapes if you have not already done so for pickling.

Combine: in a large bowl gently toss the watercress, strawberries and about two-thirds of the drained pickled grapes (reserve some grapes for garnish). Crumble the feta over the top, add the torn mint if using, and sprinkle the toasted hazelnuts.

Dress and serve: drizzle about half of the lemon vinaigrette over the salad and gently toss to coat — add more dressing to taste (you may not need all). Taste and adjust with a pinch more salt or a little more lemon juice if desired. Garnish with the remaining pickled grape halves and a few extra hazelnuts. Serve immediately.