Refreshing Strawberry & Golden Tomato Salad (Low Carb Appetizer) (Home Recipe)

Aloha! 🌺 It’s Jihye in Seoul.

Let's be honest, have you ever bought a kitchen prop just because it was too adorable to resist? That was exactly me when I saw this bamboo tasting tray and tiny spoons from Pier 1 Imports.

"What is this for?" That was the question I couldn't answer! I initially thought about baking mini desserts in them, but it turned out they weren't oven-safe. So, I did what any food lover would do: I dedicated a brand new recipe just to use these tiny spoons. 😂

Today, I’m sharing a super simple, low-carb, and incredibly pretty appetizer: Strawberry & Golden Tomato Salad. The mix of sourness, saltiness, and sweetness makes it the absolute perfect party starter.

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🛒 Ingredients

• Sweet Grape Tomatoes: 1 Cup, halved (💡 Jihye's Design Tip: I used Hofarm Kahuku Golden grape tomatoes from Hawaii. They are as sweet as real grapes, and the bright golden color makes the salad pop! If you use regular red tomatoes, it won't look quite as pretty next to the red strawberries.)

• Fresh Strawberries: 1 Cup, diced

• Cucumber: 1/2, seeded and diced

• Olive Oil: 1 Tbsp

• Balsamic Vinegar: 1 Tbsp

• Lemon Juice: 1/2 Tbsp

• Seasoning: Salt and Black pepper to taste

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👩‍🍳 Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Prep the Veggies and Fruits Wash all your ingredients. Halve the golden grape tomatoes and dice the strawberries into small, spoon-sized pieces.

2. Seed the Cucumber Cut the cucumber in half and use a small spoon to scrape out and discard the watery seeds inside. Then, dice the cucumber to match the size of the strawberries. (Removing the seeds keeps your salad crunchy and prevents it from getting watery!)

3. Toss with Dressing In a mixing bowl, gently combine the tomato

es, strawberries, and cucumbers. Add the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and lemon juice. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to your taste, and gently fold everything together.

4. The Secret Waiting Game ⏳ This is the most important step! You must cover the bowl and leave it for at least 10 minutes at room temperature (or 30 minutes in the refrigerator). Why? Because strawberries absorb the dressing very quickly, but cucumbers take the longest. You have to wait until every single ingredient absorbs enough dressing to balance the flavors!

5. Serve and Enjoy! Serve them on cute little tasting spoons, or if you want a larger meal, you can chop fresh romaine lettuce and top it with this salad mixture!

🚨 One quick warning: Please don't make leftovers! After a few hours, the strawberries will become very mushy. This is a dish best enjoyed fresh!

I hope you enjoy this easy, pretty, and delicious recipe. Stay tuned for the next one, and Mahalo for reading! 🌺