Perfect 10: The best strawberry recipes (2024)

If you’ve been having your strawberries with creamfor as long as you can remember, then you’ve been short-changing the fruit bowl’s juiciest star player. “British strawberries have a gentle, non-acidic flavour that pairs just as well with savoury as it does with sweet,” says Kirsty Hale from Riverford Organic (riverford.co.uk). “Just make sure you buy British, as the berries are usually picked ripe and chilled less in transit, so their cell structure (and flavour) stays in place.”

Try these 10 new recipes that notonly make the humble strawb thestar of any summer spread, but boost your health and body, too.

Bone-boosting yoghurt ice cream

Serves 6 | 167 cals | Ready in 30 mins

250g rhubarb, in 4cm strips - 60g caster sugar - juice of 1 orange and 1⁄2 the zest - 2 tsp elderflower cordial - 450g natural yoghurt - 200g strawberries, sliced - 2 tbsp honey - 1 sprig mint - 1-2 tsp lemon juice

Heat the rhubarb, sugar, 50ml water, orange juice and zest in a pan until the rhubarb is soft. Add the cordial, whizz up in a blender and stir in the yoghurt. Pop in the freezer for 4 hours, whisking every hour to break up the ice crystals. Simmer the strawberries, honey and mint, then blend until smooth. Add lemon juice to taste. Strain and pour over the ice cream. Take that, Mr Whippy. By the way... Rhubarb is one of the best sources of vitamin K, essential for bone and brain health.If sugar is too sinful for you, try xylitol instead.

Anti-allergy elderflower jellies

Serves 4 | 52 cals | Ready in 1 hour 10 mins

1 x 12g sachet gelatine powder - 450ml Luscombe Wild Elderflower Bubbly - 2 tsplemon juice - 250g strawberries, sliced

This one is better than it looks, trust us. Pour 120ml just-boiled water into a heatproof bowl. Stir in the gelatine, mixing well until it’s fully dissolved. Add the Elderflower Bubbly and the lemon juice and mix well. Now for the impressive bit: divide the strawberries evenly between four bowls or glasses. Pour the elderflower mixture over them, letting the froth settle for a minute before moving them. Then put your feet up while they set in the fridge for around an hour, and serve with a smile.By the way... Elderflower fights pollen sensitivity, perfect for hay fever season. Chill the fizz for four hours before to keep the bubbles intact

Cancer-fighting balsamic salad

Serves 3 | 86 cals | Ready in 1 hour

300g strawberries, hulled and halved - 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar - juice and zest of 1⁄2 orange - 1-2 tbsp soft brown sugar, to taste

This is the perfect pudding on its own or with a healthy dollop of crème fraîche, and we’ve even tried it as a side with savoury dishes such as meat or fish. Start by putting the strawberries into a small bowl. Add the balsamic vinegar, orange juice and zest and brown sugar and stir together until the berries are well coated. Leave to marinate in the fridge for up to an hour before serving to allow all the flavours to infuse. Be careful, this one has a serious zing to it!By the way... Studies have shown ellagic acid in strawberries has cancer-preventing properties. Balsamic sweetens them if they’re unripe. Magic

Protein-rich rhubarb crumble

Serves 6 | 499 cals | Ready in 55 mins

300g strawberries, halved - 250g rhubarb, cut into 4cm strips - juice and zest of 1 orange - 120g caster sugar - 125g gluten-free plain flour - 125g unsalted butter - 75g demerara sugar - 50g quinoa flakes - 50g rice flakes

Preheat the oven to 180˚C. Put the strawberries, rhubarb, orange juice, zest and sugar in a 1-litre ovenproof dish. Rub the flour and butter together until it looks like coarse breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar, quinoa and rice flakes. Spread over the top of the rhubarb, lightly press down and bake for 40 minutes, until the top is golden. We’ll tell you now, you’re going to need a bigger spoon.By the way... Quinoa flakes have all the protein of the original seeds and are steam rolled so cook quickly. A handful of millet will add crunch, not cals.

Thigh-loving Eton Mess

Serves 4 | 108 cals | Ready in 15 mins

1 egg white - 1⁄4 tsp lemon juice - 25g caster sugar - 25g dark muscovado sugar - 300g strawberries, sliced (plus a few extra for decoration) - 200g 0% fat Greek yoghurt

Line a baking tray with parchment. Whisk the egg with the lemon juice until it forms stiff peaks. Gradually whisk in the sugars. Spoon on to the tray in four dollops. Bake at 50-60˚C for 6-8 minutes. Leave to cool in the oven with the door slightly ajar. Now, mash a few strawberries. Add the rest with the yoghurt, break up the meringues and stir them in, too. Serve topped with the rest of the strawberries. This one was made for Wimbledon.By the way... Swapping double cream for yoghurt saves 15g sat fat per portion. Prefer the real thing? Cheat a creamier texture with half crème fraîche.

De-stressing strawberry-ade
Serves 8 | 33 cals |Ready in 15 mins

300g strawberries, sliced, plus a few extra for garnish - 3tbsp coconut palm nectar - juice of 2 lemons - small bunchlemon verbena leaves

Put the strawberries, palm nectar and 250ml water in a pan. Gently warm for5 minutes to dissolve the nectar, then remove from the heat and leave to cool. Blitz in a food processor. Transfer to a large water jug and add the lemon juice. Now pour in 1 1⁄2 litres of water and stir well to combine. Put in the fridge to chill for a couple of hours. Stir again, adding the lemon verbena leaves, a few extra sliced strawberries and some ice cubes to serve. Bottoms up.By the way...Verbena leaves contain essential oils to calm the nervous system and fight depression. We say, adding prosecco can’t hurt either.

Cure-all mini baklavas & fruit
Serves 4 | 436 cals | Ready in 30 mins

75g pistachios, toasted and blitzed - 1 tbsphoney - 2 pinches ground cinnamon - 4 sheets filo pastry - 50g butter - 50g golden caster sugar - 30ml rose water - 2 peaches, sliced - 300g strawberries, halved

Preheat your oven to 200˚C. Mix the pistachios, honey and cinnamon. Cut 12 rounds of pastrywith a non-fluted scone cutter (now try saying that seven times). Put a little pistachio mix on each, fold over and pinch the edges to seal. Brush with melted butter and bake for 10 minutes. Dissolve the sugar in 250ml water and add the rose water. Serve with the fruit, baklavas and some fresh mint. By the way... Tannins and antioxidants in rose water mean it treats everything from acne tosore throats. It also doubles as a face tonic!

Hunger-busting almond cake

Serves 12 | 275 cals | Ready in 1 hour 15 mins

200g self-raising flour - 1 tsp baking powder - 50g ground almonds - 200g caster sugar - 350g strawberries - 2 eggs - 125g plain yoghurt - 1 tsp almond essence - 125g butter - flaked almonds, toasted

Start by preheating the oven to 180˚C. Next up: grease a 20cm spring-form cake tin and line it with parchment. Mix the flour, baking powder, almonds, sugar and a pinch of salt. Add the strawberries. Mix the eggs, yoghurt, almond essence and melted butter. Stir the wet mix into the dry mix until they’re just combined. Bake for 50-60 minutes. Sprinkle on icing sugar and the flaked almonds.By the way... Almonds are chock-full of filling fibre. Go for raw and organic as they’re not chemically treated, so their nutrients are unharmed. Nice.

Flat-belly spiced cherry compôte

Serves 4 | 76 cals | Ready in 20 mins

250g strawberries, hulled and halved - 250g cherries, stoned - 2 pieces staranise - 1 stick cinnamon - 1 tbsp honeyor agave syrup - granola (optional)

This one is so easy, you could do it with your eyes closed (probably best not to try it, though). Put all of the ingredients in a pan. Heat gently for 15 minutes until the strawberries and cherries have fully softened. Leave them to cool for a few minutes to allow the spices to infuse, then remove the star anise and cinnamon. This is delicious served on granola and will last for up to fourdays in the fridge (if it makes it that long).By the way... Research shows cherries can reduce belly fat thanks to xylose, which is absorbed slowly and doesn’t cause blood-sugar spikes. Sweet.

Filling avocado and cheese salad

Serves 4 | 388 cals | Ready in 10 mins

350g raspberries - 350ml organic white wine vinegar - 75g caster sugar - 3 tbsp avocado oil - 200g mixed leaves - 300g strawberries, hulled and sliced - 1 avocado, sliced - 100g sheep’s cheese

Okay, so the raspberry vinegar takes two weeks, but it’s worth it! Start by mashing the raspberries, pour over the vinegar, cover and leave for two days. Drain through muslin and add the sugar. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 minutes. Cool and store in sterilised bottles for two weeks. When it’s ready, mix 2 tbsp of it with the avocado oil, toss with the rest of the ingredients and that’s it!By the way... The vinegar is rich in vitamin C and will keep for a year. Have this salad with quinoa for a filling summer lunch – we’ll see you in the park.<