16 Jan Strawberry and Feta Stuffed Ciabatta Sandwich

I’m a proud Ambassador of the California Strawberry Commission. Thank you for sponsoring this post.

For most of 2016, I was on a lettuce salad moratorium. There was no refusal of vegetables, per se, rather refusal of lettuce. Perhaps it’s because my stomach has digested thousands of pounds of the stuff over the years. Perhaps it was just good ole’ burnout. It happens.

In the latter part of 2016, my family became voracious Caesar salad eaters. The quantities in which they consumed this salad was astonishing.  I’m not going to lie-it was thrilling. And, who was I to question their salad preferences? Jumping on the Caeser bandwagon gently brought me back to eating salads regularly, which brings me to this post.

While salads in bowls or plates are fine and quite honestly, what I eat most, the thought of salad stuffed into a doughly, chewy and warm ciabatta roll sounded much more interesting.  So, I created this strawberry and feta stuffed ciabatta sandwich.  Most of the time, salads are served with bread, right?  Here, you get a bite of the sweet strawberries, the salty feta, the crunch of the pepitas and the chewy bread all in one bite.

Strawberries were a no brainer for this fruited salad. We eat them year ’round at our house-they are delicious in sweet or savory dishes and it’s just about the one fruit that everyone in my family agrees on. Plus, there are naturally sweet but low in sugar. One serving of strawberries has less than half the sugar of an apple and half the calories of a banana. 

Here’s a take on one of my all time favorite salads-Strawberry Salad with Almonds and Feta-for you to enjoy.

Strawberry and Feta Stuffed Ciabatta Sandwich

Ingredients:

4 cups mixed greens

8 California strawberries, diced

2 T Feta cheese

2 T pepitas (other nuts or seeds may be used)

2 Ciabatta rolls (hoagie rolls or miniature baguettes can also be used)

1 cup cooked chicken, chopped (optional)

olive oil, to taste

balsamic vinegar, to taste

Directions:

In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients.

Slice 1/4 off the top of the Ciabatta rolls. Using your fingers, gently pull the interior of the roll out, making room for the salad to reach the bottom of the roll without the roll splitting.  Using tongs, gently stuff the salad mixture into the roll.

Want to see more healthy strawberry recipes, hacks and ideas for #FreshorFrozen CA strawberries? Head over to the Heart of a Farmer blog. You can also enter to win a $200 Target gift card!