dessert, ice cream/sorbet

Balsamic Strawberries over Vanilla Ice Cream

Balsamic Strawberries over Vanilla Ice Cream, complete with ground pepper and lemon zest. Believe it or not, this crazy combo is delicious!
Happy strawberries! Aren’t they yummy? Okay, so don’t freak out by the title of this recipe. Balsamic Strawberries over Vanilla Ice Cream…complete with ground pepper and lemon zest. Say what? This is truly one of those bizarre combos that turns out to be totally incredible! If you’ve never paired strawberries and balsamic vinegar, you’re in for a treat, especially if you pair it with these Lemon Sugar Cookies

Balsamic Strawberries over Vanilla Ice Cream, complete with ground pepper and lemon zest. Believe it or not, this crazy combo is delicious! Balsamic Strawberries over Vanilla Ice Cream, complete with ground pepper and lemon zest. Believe it or not, this crazy combo is delicious!
The first time I tried this combination of flavors was at one of my very favorite local restaurants, Cafe Madrid. It’s a very charming spot with incredibly charming hosts, and it’s a short 15-minute walk from our house. Dangerously close enough to eat there way too often. Cafe Madrid is all about authentic Spanish tapas…which I’m all about, too, since I have a very hard time making up my mind about what to order. A whole table filled with little bites to share? Dream come true. Sausages with fig sauce, chicken croquettes, shrimp with bacon in a cream sauce, tenderloin with roquefort and tiny fried potatoes….Ok I seem to have gotten way off track! Cafe Madrid does that to me.

Anyway, after an amazing meal of all these wonderful tastes, my husband Drew and I ordered the strawberries over ice cream. Wow! We were hooked from the first bite. We pretty much devoured the whole thing in seconds, and just barely refrained from licking the bowl. It was that good. There’s just something intriguing to your tastebuds about flavors that are slightly discordant.

Balsamic Strawberries over Vanilla Ice Cream, complete with ground pepper and lemon zest. Believe it or not, this crazy combo is delicious!
It was absolutely addicting. I had to replicate it. And I’ll tell you this much…I’m never sharing that dessert again! Nope. I’ve gotten smarter. Now I order my own, thank you very much! And if no one’s looking, I might just lick the bowl.

Balsamic Strawberries over Vanilla Ice Cream

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Yield: 4-6

Ingredients

  • 4 cups fresh strawberries
  • 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp. honey
  • Few grinds of coarse black pepper
  • Zest from one lemon
  • Vanilla bean ice cream

Instructions

  1. Wash and hull strawberries. Slice into bite-size pieces and place in mixing bowl.
  2. Combine vinegar, honey and pepper in small bowl, and stir until combined.
  3. Spoon 3/4 of vinegar mixture over strawberries and mix until combined. Let sit at room temperature for 1/2 hour or more.
  4. To serve, place ice cream in bowls. Toss strawberries again to cover with sauce. Spoon over ice cream. Drizzle with remaining vinegar.
  5. Sprinkle with lemon zest and serve.

Notes

*Note that the strawberries need to rest in vinegar mixture for about 1/2 hour before serving.

https://www.kiwiandcarrot.com/balsamic-strawberries-vanilla-ice-cream/

Balsamic Strawberries over Vanilla Ice Cream, complete with ground pepper and lemon zest. Believe it or not, this crazy combo is delicious!

 

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27 Comments

  • Reply Becky @ Disney in your Day April 21, 2016 at 10:08 am

    This sounds so delicious. I love ice cream and fruit, and adding balsamic just sounds like a win!

    • Reply Elizabeth April 21, 2016 at 2:30 pm

      Becky, we think it’s a “win”…hope you do, too! Happy spring:)

  • Reply Dia All The Things I Do April 21, 2016 at 10:27 am

    I am super curious how this tastes I love strawberries but the balsamic is where I’m wondering what it will be like. Thanks for sharing.

    • Reply Elizabeth April 21, 2016 at 2:31 pm

      Dia, thanks so much for your continued support! After the berries sit in the balsamic for a bit, it sweetens and mellows, and the whole combo is delicious (we think.) Try it! Doesn’t get any easier than this one. Have fun!

  • Reply Kaley April 21, 2016 at 11:09 am

    Balsamic strawberries is something I need to try ASAP. This looks so good!

    • Reply Elizabeth April 21, 2016 at 2:32 pm

      kaley, hope you love this combo as much as we do! Best thing is: prep time is about 5 minutes! Let us know what you think:)

  • Reply Kari April 21, 2016 at 11:27 am

    Strawberry & balsamic are such a match! I recently had a cocktail with them in it that was so good!
    Kari
    http://www.sweetteasweetie.com

    • Reply Elizabeth April 21, 2016 at 2:35 pm

      Kari, I agree they are sic a great match! Hope you love this super easy recipe!

  • Reply candy April 21, 2016 at 12:15 pm

    black pepper and balsamic vinegar is totally new for me with strawberry, plus the ice cream. Interesting.

    • Reply Elizabeth April 21, 2016 at 2:36 pm

      Candy, I’d suggest just trying it once. I know it’s a bizarre combo, BUT…It literally takes about 5 minutes to prep (plus marinating time) and it’s SOOOOO good! You might become addicted. Let us know what you think!

  • Reply Angelle Marix April 21, 2016 at 2:58 pm

    Yummmm!! I have to try this!!

    Xoxo,
    Angelle
    http://www.dashingdarlin.com

    • Reply Sarah April 21, 2016 at 6:22 pm

      Angelle, you should try it! Let us know how you like it 🙂

  • Reply Leslie April 21, 2016 at 7:41 pm

    The strawberries ate so pretty. Yum, this looks good! There is a sundae I wish I could recreate from Serendipity in NY. Those cookies look good too. My sweet tooth is wanting me to eat my phone right now.

    • Reply Elizabeth April 22, 2016 at 12:53 pm

      Leslie, good luck on the Serendipity sundae! Hope you love this one, too:)

  • Reply Liz Mays April 22, 2016 at 8:09 am

    Oh wow, I’ve never had strawberries with that kind of sauce. GREAT idea! I must try it.

    • Reply Elizabeth April 22, 2016 at 12:54 pm

      Liz, let us know what you think! We hope you love it.

  • Reply Tiffany April 22, 2016 at 2:42 pm

    Sounds like a lovely treat!

    • Reply Sarah April 23, 2016 at 1:41 pm

      It’s a yummy one! Hope you like it 🙂

  • Reply Alicia Hensley April 22, 2016 at 9:27 pm

    I’ve never thought of that combination. I’m going to have to try it.

    • Reply Sarah April 23, 2016 at 1:42 pm

      Alicia, it’s definitely a unique combo, but surprisingly delicious! Give it a try and let us know how you like it 🙂

  • Reply Kristen from The Road to Domestication April 23, 2016 at 1:25 pm

    Well, that just looks amazing! I’ve not tried balsamic strawberries on ice cream, but I do love them in a salad!

    • Reply Sarah April 23, 2016 at 1:43 pm

      Kristen, balsamic strawberries are good whatever they’re in right? Salad, ice cream, on their own…we love them!

  • Reply Leslie Rossi April 24, 2016 at 4:09 pm

    pinning! i love balsamic and strawberries. i make an ice cream every summer

  • Reply Klauss May 4, 2016 at 5:25 am

    Balsamic and honey, here are two secret ingredients that make this dessert original!

    • Reply Elizabeth May 4, 2016 at 8:12 am

      Klauss, we’ve had so many people comment that this is a crazy combo. We tell them to just try it and then they’ll understand! Any time strawberries are in a recipe with balsamic and honey, you know it’ll be good. Hope you love it!

  • Reply Maggie Unzueta June 3, 2016 at 1:24 pm

    Pinned for later. This looks so good. I love the taste of balsamic vinegar and strawberries.

    • Reply Sarah June 4, 2016 at 7:45 pm

      Maggie, thanks for pinning!

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