Recipe for: Highland Salad with Grilled Oscypek and Fresh Strawberries in Honey-Thyme Vinaigrette - photo 1
← Recipes

Recipe for: Highland Salad with Grilled Oscypek and Fresh Strawberries in Honey-Thyme Vinaigrette

Salads Regional Cuisine of Poland 35 min Medium 15 views ~45.26 PLN * - (0)
Rate:
(0)
Start Cooking

Description

A summer salad inspired by Podhale combines the smoky, slightly salty flavor of grilled oscypek with juicy, aromatic strawberries and a fresh mix of greens. The honey-thyme vinaigrette adds sweetness and an herbal note, while toasted walnuts introduce crunch. This dish is perfect as a light lunch or appetizer for summer gatherings — it looks impressive with the contrast of red strawberries and golden oscypek, and the balance of flavors: sweet, salty, sour, and herbal gives it a distinctive regional character.

Ingredients Used

Ingredients (11)

Servings:
4
  • Oscypek 2 pcs (~200 g)
  • Strawberry 300 g
  • Salad mix 200 g
  • Rapeseed oil 30 g
  • Honey 30 ml
  • Balsamic vinegar 15 ml
  • 🌿 Spices
  • Thyme 4 g
  • Salt 2 g
  • Black pepper 4 pinch (~2 g)
  • ✨ Optional
  • Walnuts 50 g
  • Mint 10 g
💰 Estimated dish cost: ~45.26 PLN (11.32 PLN/serving)
* Prices missing for some ingredients

💡 Click an ingredient to mark it as used

Preparation steps

Preparation of ingredients

1

Wash the strawberries under cold running water in a sieve, and dry them with a paper towel. Remove the green stems (hulls) and cut larger fruits in half, very large ones into quarters. The strawberries should be juicy but not mushy.

Ingredients: Strawberry
Use a sharp knife and a wooden cutting board. Wash the strawberries just before use, otherwise they will lose their aroma.
2

Rinse the salad mix in cold water, place it in a salad spinner, and spin for 20-30 seconds until the leaves are dry; if you don't have a spinner, gently drain and pat dry with a towel. Tear any large leaves into smaller pieces with your fingers.

Ingredients: Salad mix
It's best to use a salad spinner. Wet leaves will dilute the vinaigrette and cause the salad to wilt faster.

Preparation of toppings

3

If you are using walnuts — heat a dry skillet over medium heat and toast the nuts for 2-3 minutes, shaking the skillet every 20-30 seconds, until you smell the aroma and see a light golden color. Set aside to cool, then chop coarsely. Finely chop the mint if you are using it.

Ingredients: mint
Use a non-stick or cast iron skillet. Keep an eye on them, as the nuts can burn quickly — remove from heat immediately after they start to smell fragrant.

Preparation of the vinaigrette

4

Prepare the honey-thyme vinaigrette: pour honey (30 g), rapeseed oil (30 g), and balsamic vinegar (15 g) into a bowl. Add thyme (4 g), salt (2 g), and black pepper (2 g). Whisk with a hand whisk or tightly seal the mixture in a jar and shake for 30 seconds until a smooth, slightly thick emulsion forms.

Ingredients: Honey, Rapeseed oil, Balsamic vinegar, Thyme, Salt, Black pepper
If the honey is crystallized, heat it briefly (about 10 seconds) in the microwave or in a water bath until it reaches a liquid consistency. Use a small bowl and a whisk or a jar with a lid — the jar makes emulsifying easier.

Grilling oscypek

5

Cut the oscypek into slices about 1 cm thick (from 200 g you will get about 8 slices). Heat a grill pan or a regular cast iron pan over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes (it should be hot but not smoking). Brush a light layer of rapeseed oil (a little oil on a brush) on the surface of each slice. Place the slices in the pan and fry for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden stripes appear and the cheese softens slightly, but does not completely melt.

Ingredients: Oscypek, Rapeseed oil
Use a grill pan with a diameter suitable for the number of slices (best 26-28 cm). Turn the oscypek only once — too frequent flipping can cause it to crumble. Watch: when the cheeses have clear stripes and are slightly soft, they are ready.

Salad assembly

6

On a large board or on four flat plates, spread about 50 g of salad mix per serving (a total of 200 g). Drizzle the leaves with half of the prepared vinaigrette and gently toss with your fingers or tongs to avoid crushing the leaves. Evenly arrange the strawberries (300 g in total) on the salad, place 2 slices of hot oscypek per serving (after frying), and sprinkle with chopped walnuts (optional) and chopped mint (optional).

Ingredients: Salad mix, Strawberry, Oscypek, mint
Mix the dressing with the salad just before serving, so the leaves don't wilt. If you're making a plate for guests, assemble the salad just before serving — oscypek loses its texture after a while.

Finishing

7

Drizzle the salad with the remaining vinaigrette (the leftover dressing), and season lightly with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste (remember that oscypek is salty). Serve immediately while the oscypek is still warm — this will enhance the contrast of temperatures and textures.

Ingredients: Balsamic vinegar, Salt, Black pepper
Serve the salad immediately after the last drizzle of dressing. Prepare the accompaniments on the table (e.g. bread), as the salad tastes best fresh.

Fun Fact

💡

Oscypek is a traditional shepherd's cheese from Podhale — historically produced by shepherds during sheep grazing. Its aroma and smoking pair well with fruits, which has been used for centuries in mountain kitchens to combine sweet and savory flavors.

Best for

letnie spotkania przyjęcie na świeżym powietrzu lekki obiad

Tips

🍽️ Serving

Serve immediately after preparation, with crispy bread (baguette or country bread) and a glass of cool, semi-dry wine (e.g. Riesling) or light cider. You can add a few basil leaves instead of mint as a variation.

🥡 Storage

Store the dressing in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for 3–4 days; shake before use. Store the lettuce and strawberries separately in the refrigerator and use within 1-2 days. Grilled oscypek is best consumed immediately; if you need to store it, place it in a container and reheat in the oven for 5–7 minutes at 180°C before serving.

📸 Cooked by the community

Log in to add a photo
Add a photo of the finished dish

After moderator approval, you will receive 10 experience points.

🍲

No one has added a photo yet. Be the first!

Comments (0)

Be the first to comment on this recipe!

Add a comment

You might also like

Grilled Pork Neck Skewers with Young Asparagus and Bell Pepper 50 min

Grilled Pork Neck Skewers with Young Aspar...

Snacks
Vegetable-Stuffed Zrazy (Vegan) 90 min

Vegetable-Stuffed Zrazy (Vegan)

Main dishes
Grilled chicken pieces in honey glaze 45 min

Grilled chicken pieces in honey glaze

Main Dishes
Beetroot-Apple Juice with Ginger 30 min

Beetroot-Apple Juice with Ginger

Drinks
Gluten-free Breton beans 60 min

Gluten-free Breton beans

Main Dishes
Light mascarpone cream with forest fruits (Polish-modern) 20 min

Light mascarpone cream with forest fruits ...

Desserts

Recipe Categories

Salads
Salads in: May Day

Salads are a perfect way to bring freshness and health to your May menu. Colorful compositions will delight not only with their taste but also with their appearance.

See all recipes in this category
Regional Cuisine of Poland
Regional Cuisine of Poland

Traditional recipes from various regions of Poland that showcase the richness of local flavors and ingredients.

See all recipes in this category
Advertisement