Strawberry Romaine Salad

Mother's Day 2025. The annual tradition continues in this kitchen that has held every holiday since I started cooking through cancer and came out the other side with a cast iron skillet and a refusal to stop. I am 42 and Mother's Day means what it has always meant: too much food, the right people, and the gratitude spoken aloud because life taught me that gratitude unspoken is gratitude wasted.

The table is full. Mason (14) and Lily (12) are here, growing taller and more themselves with each passing year. Tom is here, beside me, where he has been since the day he showed up with wildflowers and patience and the quiet understanding that love is not a grand gesture but a daily one.

Brett is here — always here, every holiday, every Wednesday, the constant brother in the wheelchair who has been my anchor since we were children on a ranch that no longer exists. Kyle calls from wherever the Army has him, and his voice on the phone is the voice of the brother who left and came back and left again, and the leaving and returning is the rhythm of this family.

I made strawberry shortcake this week, because Mother's Day demands the food that says: I am here, you are here, we are together, and together is the only word that matters. The recipe is the same as last year and the year before and all the years stretching back to the ranch kitchen where Diane stood at 6 AM making cinnamon rolls for a family that ate them without knowing they were eating love. I know now. I've always known. And I make the food and serve it and watch my family eat and think: this. This is why I survived. For this table. For this food. For these people. For this.

The strawberry shortcake is the heart of this Mother’s Day table — it always has been — but a table this full needs a little brightness alongside it, something that tastes like the season and looks like effort without demanding much of you on a day already spent well. This strawberry romaine salad has been beside the shortcake for years now, and I’ll be honest: the kids go back for it as many times as they go back for dessert. For a table built around the word together, that feels exactly right.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 0 min | Total Time: 15 min | Servings: 8

Ingredients

2 large heads romaine lettuce, chopped (about 12 cups)
2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar (or champagne vinegar)
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon poppy seeds
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Toast the almonds. In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast sliced almonds for 3–4 minutes, stirring frequently, until golden and fragrant. Remove from heat and let cool.
Make the dressing. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, honey, poppy seeds, salt, and pepper until fully combined. Taste and adjust sweetness or acidity as needed.
Prep the salad base. Wash and dry the romaine thoroughly, then chop into bite-sized pieces. Place in a large salad bowl.
Add the toppings. Scatter the sliced strawberries, red onion, toasted almonds, and crumbled feta evenly over the romaine.
Dress and serve. Drizzle the dressing over the salad just before serving and toss gently to coat. Serve immediately for the freshest texture and brightest color.

Nutrition (per serving)

Strawberry Romaine Salad — The Side Dish That Belongs at Every Table Worth Gathering Around