Rich and creamy Strawberry Banana Cheesecake Salad that tastes like ice cream. Fresh juicy strawberries and sweet banana slices are folded into a velvety strawberry cashew cream to create the best summer dessert salad ever.
1cupraw cashewssoaked in boiling water for 5 minutes, drained
½cupstrawberriesfresh or frozen (for cool dressing if you serve it imediatelly)
½cupcold water
1tablespoonlemon juicefreshly squeezed
2tablespoonagave nectaror maple syrup (add more to taste)
½teaspoonpure vanilla extract
Instructions
First, soak the cashews in hot boiling water for 5 minutes while you prepare the fruit. Next, carefully rinse strawberries with cold running water and pat them dry. Hull and cut them into halves. Then, slice the bananas into rings. Put sliced fruit into a large bowl.
After that, add 1 cup of soaked, drained cashews, ½ cup strawberries, 2 tablespoons agave nectar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, and ½ cup cold water to a high-powered blender and blend until smooth and creamy.
Finally, pour strawberry-cashew dressing over sliced fruit and gently stir until evenly coated. Optionally, reserve a few strawberries and banana slices for decoration.
You can serve this salad immediately or let it chill in the fridge for a few hours. Also, you can freeze it for 1-2 hours before serving for an ice-creamy texture and taste (my favorite way).Keep any leftovers refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Notes
Sweetener - you can substitute agave nectar with maple syrup, date syrup, or coconut nectar.
Fruit - fresh raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, cranberries, cherries, kiwi, pineapple, mango, or peaches would be a wonderful addition.
Cashews - swap the cashews with pine nuts or use coconut cream instead. If using coconut cream just omit the water.
Lemon juice - lime or orange juice are great alternatives.
Nuts - you can throw in chopped hazelnuts, walnuts, or pistachios to add a nutty crunchy flavor.