Strawberry Salsa (Mediterranean Style!)
This easy Mediterranean-style strawberry salsa is a fresh, flavorful twist on a classic. Perfect over salmon, grilled chicken, or toasted baguette slices!
I was given a free sample of the Brain Health Kitchen Extra Virgin Olive Oil used in this recipe. I was not compensated to write this post. As always, I only share products I personally use and recommend. Enjoy!
Some of my best summer memories involve strawberries. Growing up in San Diego, we’d stop at the farm stands near my grandmother’s house, and I can still picture those overflowing baskets of bright red berries, still warm from the sun. Our cool coastal climate produces some of the sweetest, most flavorful berries around, and I look forward to them every single year.
This Strawberry Salsa is a delicious fusion of Latin and Mediterranean flavors. Fresh strawberries, fragrant basil, toasted pine nuts, and a generous drizzle of high-polyphenol extra virgin olive oil instead of the usual lime and cilantro combo. Oh, and serrano pepper is optional, but highly recommended!
So when NeuroReserve reached out to me to create a recipe with their Brain Health Kitchen EVOO, strawberry salsa was immediately on my mind. It’s fresh, bright, a little unexpected, and one of the easiest things you’ll make all summer.
What Makes This Recipe Brain Healthy
If you’re not familiar with the MIND diet, it’s an eating pattern designed to support brain health and reduce the risk of cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s dementia. And it’s one I often recommend to my clients. It combines the best of the Mediterranean and DASH diets, with extra emphasis on foods shown to benefit the brain.
I’ve written a full guide to the MIND diet if you want to dive deeper. The short version: it emphasizes berries, extra virgin olive oil, vegetables, nuts, fish, and leafy greens, among other foods. And this strawberry salsa hits several of those categories in one simple dish. Or more, depending on how you serve it. Let’s review the ingredients…
Strawberry Salsa Ingredients
Strawberries: Berries are one of the MIND diet’s most emphasized food groups, and for good reason. Strawberries are rich in flavonoids, particularly anthocyanins and quercetin, which have been linked to slower cognitive aging and reduced brain inflammation (1). Plus, they’re at peak sweetness right now if you’re shopping local.
Brain Health Kitchen EVOO: This was my first time cooking with Brain Health Kitchen’s extra virgin olive oil, and I’m a fan. As a card-carrying member of one APO e4 gene (putting me at higher risk for developing Alzheimers), I’ve long prioritized high-polyphenol EVOO in my kitchen. Polyphenols are the bioactive compounds in olive oil most linked to anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective benefits, and not all olive oils are created equal in this department.
BHK extra virgin olive oil is specifically formulated with brain health in mind and is available through NeuroReserve. A generous drizzle goes into the salsa itself. Serve it on baguette slices drizzled with extra EVOO and you get even more.
Pine nuts: Nuts are another MIND diet staple, and pine nuts provide a buttery, slightly sweet flavor that pairs beautifully with strawberries. Toasting them for just a few minutes deepens their flavor considerably. Don’t skip this step!
Fresh basil: Beyond flavor, basil contains rosmarinic acid and other polyphenols with anti-inflammatory properties. It also makes this salsa look gorgeous, which matters.
Red onion: A good source of quercetin, another potentially brain-healthy compound. It also adds a touch of sharpness that balances the berries’ sweetness.
White balsamic vinegar: Lighter and less assertive than regular balsamic, it brightens the salsa without muddying the strawberries’ beautiful color.
Serrano Pepper (optional): If you like a little heat, like me, the capsaicin in jalapeños has its own anti-inflammatory credentials. It also makes this salsa feel a little more fun.
🍓How to Make Strawberry Salsa
- Dice & chop strawberries, red onion, and basil. And optional serrano pepper if using.
- Toast the pine nuts.
- Combine the strawberries, onion, basil, and pine nuts in a mixing bowl.
- Add olive oil and vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add optional serrano pepper if desired, to taste.
- Serve or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Find the measurements and full recipe below!
Delicious Ways to Serve This Salsa
This is where this recipe really earns its place in your recipe rotation, as it’s deliciously versatile! How about…
Strawberry Bruschetta: Pile it onto slices of toasted gluten-free baguette brushed with BHK EVOO. Add a smear of goat cheese underneath to make it a little more substantial. It’s an easy appetizer for summer entertaining.
Over Pan-Seared Salmon: The sweetness of the strawberries and the richness of the salmon are a great match, and salmon is one of the MIND diet’s top-tier foods for brain health. Try my easy Pan Seared Salmon recipe.
Over Grilled Chicken or Shrimp: A lighter option that lets the salsa really shine. Grill your chicken or shrimp simply with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and spoon the salsa generously on top.
On Top of Fish Tacos: Top corn tortillas with grilled fish, strawberry salsa, and avocado.
Spooned Over Burrata: For a stunning no-cook summer appetizer, spoon the salsa over fresh burrata and serve with GF crackers or crostini.
As a Salad: Toss the salsa with a few handfuls of arugula and an extra drizzle of BHK EVOO for an instant strawberry salsa salad. The peppery arugula is a perfect match.
Grilled Cheese Accompaniment: Imagine a melty, gooey grilled cheese sandwich topped with strawberry salsa. My husband’s new favorite!
Brain Health Side Note
Because I’m on the topic of brain health, I want to give a quick mention to Relevate by NeuroReserve. It’s a brain health supplement I recommend to clients looking to fill nutritional gaps and support cognitive health. Food first, always, but Relevate is formulated around the same nutritional science that underlies the MIND diet. It’s worth taking a look at if brain health is a priority for you! Get 15% off your first order of Relevate here! (Use code SPICYRD)
Easy Strawberry Salsa (Mediterranean Style)
Ingredients
- 2 cups diced fresh strawberries
- 3/4 cup lightly chopped fresh basil
- 1/2 cup diced red onion
- 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, i.e. Brain Health Kitchen
- 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 1 finely diced Serrano chili, optional; or to taste
Instructions
- Dice the strawberries and red onion. Chop the basil. Set aside.
- Toast the pine nuts in a small skillet over medium heat until lightly toasted-about 2 1/2 to 3 minutes. Make sure to toss them with a spatula frequently and keep a close eye on them so they don't burn. Remove from the skillet immediately to prevent further cooking.
- Combine the strawberries, chopped basil, and red onion in a mixing bowl. Add the pine nuts, olive oil, and vinegar. Stir to combine the ingredients and season with salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste.
- Want a little heat? Add the the diced Serrano pepper to taste.
- Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator in a well-sealed container for up to 4 days.
Notes
- Serve on top of (gluten-free) baguette slices, drizzled with olive oil or topped with goat cheese, plus salsa on top.
- Add a generous spoonful on top of grilled chicken, pan seared salmon, or shrimp.
- Enjoy on fish tacos.
- Stir into Greek yogurt or cottage cheese.
- Serve with a grilled cheese sandwich-so good!
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
Please leave your comments, and if you loved it, give it a 5-star rating! And please share this post with your friends and family, or take a photo and tag me on Instagram @thespicyrd.Thanks so much for your support!
And don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter to get new gluten-free recipes, nutrition tips, meal plans, reader discounts, and more delivered straight to your inbox!
