This Strawberry Salad is a light, refreshing side dish that Koreans often make in spring and early summer when strawberries are at their sweetest and most affordable. It pairs juicy strawberries and blueberries with crisp lettuce, boiled quail eggs, and a generous drizzle of plain yogurt, making it feel more like a small, colorful dessert-salad than a heavy side dish.
It’s the kind of dish you’ll find on a Korean home table alongside other banchan, or served on its own as a light lunch. The combination of tart-sweet fruit, cool lettuce, and creamy yogurt is simple but satisfying, and the quail eggs add a little protein and visual charm without much extra effort.
Because it requires no real cooking beyond boiling the quail eggs, this is a great recipe for hot days when you don’t want to turn on the stove for long, or for a quick, pretty dish to bring to a picnic or brunch.
Ingredients
- 70g strawberries (7 pieces)
- 85g plain yogurt (1 container)
- 70g lettuce (2 leaves)
- 30g quail eggs (3 pieces)
- 15g blueberries (1 tablespoon)
- a splash of vinegar
- a pinch of salt
Instructions
- Put the quail eggs into a pot of cold water with the vinegar and salt. Once the water comes to a boil, keep boiling for about 5 more minutes, then rinse the eggs in cold water, peel, and cut in half.
- Rinse the strawberries gently under running water, remove the stems, drain, and cut in half.
- Soak the lettuce in cold water, drain, and tear into bite-sized pieces. Arrange the lettuce, strawberries, blueberries, and quail eggs on a plate, then drizzle the plain yogurt over the top.
Tips & Variations
Quail eggs can usually be found pre-boiled and peeled in the refrigerated section of Korean or Asian grocery stores, which saves a step — just skip the boiling and go straight to slicing them in half. If you can’t find quail eggs at all, a couple of quartered regular hard-boiled eggs make a fine substitute.
Plain yogurt works best here rather than sweetened or flavored yogurt, since the fruit already provides plenty of sweetness. Greek yogurt is a good substitute if you want a thicker, tangier topping.
- Use ripe, in-season strawberries for the best flavor — this salad depends on fresh fruit.
- Frozen blueberries can be used in a pinch, but thaw and drain them first so they don’t make the salad watery.
- Assemble the salad just before serving so the lettuce stays crisp and the yogurt doesn’t make everything soggy.
Nutrition
- Calories: 195 kcal
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Fat: 5 g
- Sodium: 138 mg