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…
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.
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.
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
- Wash and hull strawberries. Slice into bite-size pieces and place in mixing bowl.
- Combine vinegar, honey and pepper in small bowl, and stir until combined.
- Spoon 3/4 of vinegar mixture over strawberries and mix until combined. Let sit at room temperature for 1/2 hour or more.
- To serve, place ice cream in bowls. Toss strawberries again to cover with sauce. Spoon over ice cream. Drizzle with remaining vinegar.
- Sprinkle with lemon zest and serve.
Notes
*Note that the strawberries need to rest in vinegar mixture for about 1/2 hour before serving.
27 Comments
This sounds so delicious. I love ice cream and fruit, and adding balsamic just sounds like a win!
Becky, we think it’s a “win”…hope you do, too! Happy spring:)
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.
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!
Balsamic strawberries is something I need to try ASAP. This looks so good!
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:)
Strawberry & balsamic are such a match! I recently had a cocktail with them in it that was so good!
Kari
http://www.sweetteasweetie.com
Kari, I agree they are sic a great match! Hope you love this super easy recipe!
black pepper and balsamic vinegar is totally new for me with strawberry, plus the ice cream. Interesting.
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!
Yummmm!! I have to try this!!
Xoxo,
Angelle
http://www.dashingdarlin.com
Angelle, you should try it! Let us know how you like it 🙂
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.
Leslie, good luck on the Serendipity sundae! Hope you love this one, too:)
Oh wow, I’ve never had strawberries with that kind of sauce. GREAT idea! I must try it.
Liz, let us know what you think! We hope you love it.
Sounds like a lovely treat!
It’s a yummy one! Hope you like it 🙂
I’ve never thought of that combination. I’m going to have to try it.
Alicia, it’s definitely a unique combo, but surprisingly delicious! Give it a try and let us know how you like it 🙂
Well, that just looks amazing! I’ve not tried balsamic strawberries on ice cream, but I do love them in a salad!
Kristen, balsamic strawberries are good whatever they’re in right? Salad, ice cream, on their own…we love them!
pinning! i love balsamic and strawberries. i make an ice cream every summer
Balsamic and honey, here are two secret ingredients that make this dessert original!
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!
Pinned for later. This looks so good. I love the taste of balsamic vinegar and strawberries.
Maggie, thanks for pinning!