This strawberry rhubarb salad is everything to love about late spring: bright, juicy strawberries, creamy burrata, and a tart-sweet crunch from quick-pickled rhubarb. Then, it's finished with fresh basil and toasted pistachios with a hint of fennel and orange. Serve it with crusty bread or crostini, just like you would bruschetta, for the dreamiest appetizer to start a meal.
What Is Rhubarb, Anyway?
Okay, confession time. As a kid, my mom's favorite dessert was strawberry rhubarb pie, and I swore rhubarb was just some special kind of strawberry. Then one day I saw her friend chopping up what looked like red celery and tossing it into a pie, and I was horrified. Red celery in dessert? Hard pass.
I didn't try rhubarb until I was an adult. And man oh man… I had no idea what I was missing.
Rhubarb is actually a vegetable, but it's usually cooked like a fruit. The stalks are super tart, crunchy, and bright, almost like a sour green apple, but they mellow beautifully when cooked or pickled. They're a seasonal ingredient that feels special because they don't stick around long. Late spring is prime time, so when you see it, grab it!
Only the stalks are edible (the leaves are toxic), and you don't need to peel it, just slice it thin or into small chunks. In this salad, it gets a quick pickle treatment that softens the texture and brings the perfect crunchy zing to balance out the sweet strawberries and creamy burrata.
Why You'll Love This Salad (and Want to Make It Again and Again)
- It looks fancy, but it's super simple. You don't need chef skills to pull this off. A few seasonal ingredients and a quick pickle, and you've got a restaurant-worthy dish.
- It's the perfect balance of sweet, tart, creamy, and crunchy. Every bite hits all the notes: juicy strawberries, tangy rhubarb, buttery burrata, and toasted pistachios.
- It's make-ahead friendly. Pickle the rhubarb, toast the nuts, prep the strawberries, and when it's time to serve, it comes together in 2 minutes.
- It's light but satisfying. Great as an appetizer, brunch salad, or even a not-sad desk lunch with a hunk of crusty bread and some grilled chicken.
- It's a total showstopper. The colors are gorgeous, the texture is layered, and it just feels like something special (without a ton of effort).
- It's seasonal in the best way. If you're like me and get excited about ingredients like rhubarb and basil popping up, this one's going to be a spring favorite.
Ingredients You'll Need
Quick Pickled Rhubarb
- Rhubarb
- White balsamic vinegar or champagne vinegar
- Sugar
- Salt
- Fennel seeds
Salad
- Fresh strawberries
- Orange zest
- Fresh basil
- Toasted pistachios
- Pickled rhubarb (see above)
- Burrata cheese
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Flaky sea salt + black pepper
- Black sesame seeds (optional)
- Crusty bread or crostini (for serving)
How to Make It
Step 1: Pickle the Rhubarb
Simmer white balsamic vinegar, sugar, salt, and fennel seeds. Pour over thinly sliced rhubarb and let it cool. Chill for at least 1 hour.
Step 2: Assemble the Salad
Toss sliced strawberries with orange zest. Add torn basil, chopped pistachios, and pickled rhubarb to the strawberries. Drizzle with olive oil, pickling liquid, black sesame seeds, and season with flaky salt and pepper. Toss gently.
Step 4: Plate with Burrata
Spoon the salad onto a platter, tear open the burrata and nestle it in the center. Serve with grilled bread or crostini.
Prep-Ahead Tips
Make entertaining (or weeknight dinner) even easier:
- Pickle the rhubarb up to 5 days in advance
- Toast pistachios and store in a sealed jar
- Hull and slice strawberries a day ahead
- Keep basil leaves fresh in a damp towel
- Bring burrata to room temp 30 minutes before serving
- Toast bread just before serving for maximum crunch
What to Serve With This Salad
Leftover Tip
If you have leftovers, store the salad and burrata separately. The salad holds up well for about a day. Spoon it over greens, and serve it with grilled chicken for a nice little lunch salad.
Recipe
Strawberry Rhubarb Salad
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*Easily adjust serving size to your liking by clicking the number under servings or with the boxes below in the ingredients section.
Ingredients
Quick-Pickled Rhubarb (Make this at least an hour in advance, or up to 5 days ahead)
- 1 cup rhubarb cut into small chunks, about 1 stalk
- ½ cup white balsamic vinegar or champagne vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
Salad Ingredients
- 1 pint ripe strawberries quartered or sliced
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves torn or julienne (sliced into ribbons)
- 2-4 tablespoons chopped toasted pistachios I like to use 4 for more crunch. Almonds work well too if you don't like pistachios
- quick-pickled rhubarb from above
- 2 tablespoons quick-pickling liquid
- 1-2 balls burrata cheese
- 1½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil plus more to garnish
- 1 teaspoon black sesame seeds optional
- pinch flaky sea salt
- few cracks freshly cracked black pepper
- crusty bread crostini, or grilled sourdough (for serving)
Instructions
Make the pickled rhubarb
- In a small saucepan, bring vinegar, sugar, salt, and fennel seeds to a simmer. Stir until sugar dissolves, about 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and pour over the sliced rhubarb in a heat-safe bowl or jar. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour (up to 5 days) before using.
For the salad
- In a mixing bowl, toss strawberries with 1 teaspoon orange zest. Then, add in ¼ cup torn basil and 2-4 tablespoons chopped pistachios. Using a slotted spoon, strain the rhubarb from the pickling liquid and add it to the salad. Reserve the pickling liquid.
- Drizzle the salad with 1 ½ tablespoons of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of the pickling liquid, 1 teaspoon of black sesame seed (if using), and season with flaky salt and pepper. Gently toss to combine.
- Spoon the salad onto a serving plate or shallow bowl. Tear open the burrata and nestle it in the center.
- Top with a few extra fennel or sesame seeds and a drizzle of olive oil, if you like. Serve with toasted bread or crostini on the side.
- Best when served immediately, but can be stored for up to one day.
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