Better Homes and Gardens

Fast and Fresh Strawberry Recipe Ideas to Nosh on All Summer

By Kristy Alpert

This fresh twist on a classic Tuscan bread salad recipe features bright bursts of juicy strawberries and comes together in just 25 minutes. Day-old bread is the best for sopping up the sweet juices of this strawberry salad recipe, but a fresh baguette works just fine as well. Make sure to save those bones from the rotisserie chicken to create a delicious chicken stock!

Spicy Fruit Salad

Be careful, this strawberry salad recipe brings the heat! Layer together romaine lettuce, arugula, mangoes, fresh strawberries, and jicama, then top with a zippy, zesty homemade dressing. If you really want to feel the burn, top with a few sliced jalapeño peppers or add an extra sprinkle of chili powder to the dressing. Don’t stress about that long start to finish time, it’s just chilling time for flavors to meld. You’ll only need about a half hour in the kitchen.

Parmesan-Stuffed Chicken and Melted Strawberries

OK, these strawberries aren’t quite melted. Baking them alongside Parmesan—and basil—stuffed chicken does make them extra tender and delicious though! The cheesy chicken combined with the sweetness of the strawberries makes a completely delectable strawberry dinner idea that’s not too bad health-wise, either.

Good and Healthy Strawberry Shortcake

Summer’s favorite dessert just got lighter! Not only does this fresh strawberry dessert come together in just 45 minutes, but it cuts down on sugar, fat, and calories by swapping cream for low-fat yogurt and mixing in whole wheat flour. You’ll need six cups of fresh strawberries for this strawberry shortcake recipe, where they’re sliced and placed beneath a bed of homemade yogurt cream.

Spring Salad

This salad positively screams spring! Loaded with fresh ingredients like strawberries, green beans, snap peas, and radishes, this easy side dish can brighten any meal. You’ll have to be a little patient while it chills in the fridge, but you can also make it up to four hours before serving to save time later.

Strawberry Agua Fresca

Recipes using fresh strawberries don’t have to be baked into a pastry or boiled into a jam. This refreshing strawberry drink is made from the strained liquid from blended strawberries and fresh lime juice. Agua fresca means “fresh water” or “cool water,” and this strawberry version is ideal for cooling off during warmer months.

Strawberry Goat Cheese Bruschetta

Traditional Italian bruschetta is less about the toppings and more about getting that perfect char on a long slice of rustic bread dipped in olive oil. Our sweet and savory version, on the other hand, is all about the toppings. Broil a long baguette for two minutes before layering generous heaps of fresh strawberries for one of the simplest and more delicious strawberry recipes around.

Strawberries and Cream Pancakes

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Flipping these strawberry pancakes onto your plate is a surefire way to start your morning off right. Use a mixture of whole wheat pastry flour and oat flour with a sprinkle of chia seeds to make breakfast a little healthier (no box mix here!), then top with fresh strawberries and whipped Greek creamed cheese. Trust us, you won’t miss the maple syrup.

Salmon Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette

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If you’ve never put strawberries and salmon together before, the time to try it is now. This strawberry salad recipe is topped with salmon, fresh strawberries, crunchy pecans, and a homemade vinaigrette, so every single bite bursts with bright flavors. For even more summer flavor, you can also try making this salad with grilled salmon (instead of from a pouch) or chicken.

Wonton Dessert Stacks

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Desserts don’t have to be complicated to be irresistibly yummy, and they don’t have to be unhealthy, either! This stacked strawberry dessert recipe is layered with crispy wonton wrappers, kiwi fruit, and lemon yogurt. Just sweet enough with a bit of a tang, these stacked treats will keep you coming back for seconds (maybe even thirds!).

Triple Berry Salad

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Although there are sprinkles of blueberries and raspberries amid the crunchy romaine leaves, it’s the three cups of strawberries that steal the show in this strawberry salad recipe. You can add a bit of crunch to this strawberry salad by mixing in slivered almonds or another kind of your favorite nuts. If you need to, you can throw together this salad a little early, let it chill in the fridge, and drizzle with homemade dressing just before dinnertime.

Watermelon Berry Limeade

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Equal parts strawberries and chopped watermelon are the only sweetener this refreshing strawberry drink recipe needs. Add the fruit along with a splash of coconut water and some lime juice to a blender with ice and then let this thirst-quenching drink take it from there. Serve it alone as a mocktail or add your favorite spirit for a fruit-forward cocktail.

Mojito Berries

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If you want a dessert that’s all about the berries, then this easy strawberry recipe is for you! Mimic a tall, icy mojito by rolling strawberries in a mix of honey and lime juice, then sprinkling them with mint leaves and a touch of sugar. That’s it! It’s much simpler than a full-blown mojito but just as refreshing (and a little healthier, too!).

Strawberry and Arugula Salad with Manchego Fricos

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Like any salad recipe, this dish has plenty of fresh ingredients (three whole cups of strawberries, plus plenty of baby arugula). But this strawberry salad recipe has something that a lot of salads don’t—homemade cheese crisps! Start with Manchego cheese, then crisp it up in a skillet to use as a salad topper. It’s a great way to add a taste of indulgence to a super-healthy side.

Grilled Strawberry, Tomato, and Chicken Wraps

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Grilled strawberries? Oh yes, we went there! To make these summer strawberry wraps, grill red onion and chicken together on one set of skewers, and cherry tomatoes and strawberries together on another. Grilling your strawberries might sound a little strange, but trust us—once you taste their sweet, smoky flavor, you’ll be an instant believer!

Grilled Bass with Strawberry Salsa

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You can make this mouthwatering strawberry dinner recipe in less than 30 minutes. Season with a few sprinkles of cayenne pepper to bring the heat, and top with a homemade strawberry and poblano chile pepper salsa to add plenty of fresh flavor. This meal is so good, you’ll be adding it to your weekly rotation after just one bite.

Honey Fruit Salad

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It’s no secret—fruit salad is one of our favorite ways to enjoy fresh-picked strawberries. Serve your berries alongside a medley of other berries, grapes, and apples and stir together an easy honey-orange dressing to drizzle on top.