Eat Seasonal: Strawberry and Preserved Lemon Lassi
These early March days have been bitterly cold, but brilliantly sunny. Spring still feels like a long way off, even though we are already making plans for Easter in a few short weeks.
The sunshine is a promise of good things to come: the sweetest season of all, where we boil our own maple syrup. The sap won’t run until the weather warms up though, so in the meantime we are hunkering down and eating the stores from the preserves pantry and the freezer.
Barbara Kingsolver called March “the hungry month” in her inspiring memoir, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life and it certainly is the least exciting month as far as produce goes. We must wait patiently for the ramps, rhubarb and asparagus, while trying to content ourselves with wrinkly apples, more winter squash and kale.
March is when I most frequently pop the lid off of a can of peaches or reach for a jar of pesto from the freezer. My palate needs an awakening and I am so grateful to my former self for making time to preserve the harvest.
Today’s simple recipe is a result of such planning; small Quebec strawberries, frozen in their prime, along with tangy preserved lemons marry in a sweet and salty lassi. It’s just the ticket to get me through the beginning of March.
Strawberry and Preserved Lemon Lassi
A lassi seems almost too simple to require a recipe, but this one is honey-sweetened and requires a fine balance of sweet and salty.
This Indian-style yogurt-based drink originated in Punjab, but from what I have read, is also popular all across India. Traditionally a lassi has a bit of salt added in, but in my recipe the tangy, salty preserved lemon accomplishes this task by rounding out the flavours.
It is thinner than a smoothie. I find it leaves you feeling refreshed, not bloated (like a smoothie sometimes can). It’s usually a cool-down drink, but it’s just as satisfying during a snowstorm. It’s also usually yogourt-based, but I make mine with kefir.
Kefir has all sorts of health benefits, although I keep it around for smoothies and drinks such as this one just because it is delicious.
Creamy and refreshing, this pretty pink Strawberry and Preserved Lemon Lassi would be perfect for upcoming Easter celebrations. It would be a great way to tease the appetite or refresh the palate when accompanying a brunch menu. But don’t wait for a special occasion to make the lassi – make it right now!
Ingredients
- 2 cups kefir
- 1 cup frozen strawberries
- 2 teaspoons chopped preserved lemon
- 2 Tablespoons liquid honey
- 1 pinch ground cardamom
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a blender. Cover and blend on low until the strawberries are in little bits.
- Increase the blender speed to high and blend until frothy.
- Taste the lassi and add more honey if desired.
- Pour into glasses and serve at once.
Eat Seasonal: March
From our blogging group, here’s a fantastic variety of recipes, some sweet and some savoury, all inspired by produce that is fresh and seasonal in March. Be sure to click on the links to check out the recipes. For more seasonal recipe inspiration, follow the #EatSeasonal hashtag on Instagram.
- Asparagus & Feta Cheese Crustless Quiche from Cookin’ Canuck
- Roasted Vegetable Asiago Fettuccine Alfredo from Completely Delicious
- Baked Thai Beef Stuffed Artichokes from Climbing Grier Mountain
- Watermelon Radish and Arugula Salad from Food for My Family
- Pappadew Pepper Cauliflower Hummus from Kitchen Confidante
- Lentil, Avocado, and Radish Salad from Letty’s Kitchen
- Tuna Salad with Pickled Habeneros from Project Domestication
- Kiwi Lime Sherbet from The Vintage Mixer
- Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage from FoodieCrush
- Roasted Asparagus and Brussels Sprout Panzanella Salad from Floating Kitchen
- Crispy Parmesan Asparagus Fries with Lemon Greek Yogurt Dip from Flavor the Moments
And lastly, if you like the strawberry/lemon pairing, you’ll love this Strawberry Meyer Lemon Marmalade.
I can practically feel spring through these gorgeous lassi’s! Gorgeous!!
Thanks, Lauren! I hope Spring takes a hint. 🙂
hey girl this looks so good!
Aw, thank you Shawnna. It must be the pretty colour.
These are beautiful!! And I love that you put preserved lemon and cardamom in it! The way you preserve in your home sounds truly delightful!
Lemon and cardamom is an old favourite flavour pairing of mine. 🙂 Thank you for the kind words, Becky.
This looks so bright and cheery for the rainy weather we’re having here today! I love this color, and adding the preserved lemon sound like such a lovely touch!
I needed a little cheer in my life. I’m glad you found it here as well.
Oh goodie–something else to do with the barely dented quart jar of preserved Meyer lemons in my fridge! And we always have plain kefir on hand…. Pinning…
That is great you have preserved lemons around! I like them in salad dressing, baking, with roasted vegetables and even in hummus. Enjoy!
This is just the most fabulous shade of pink! I have some preserved lemons, and I never would have thought to add them to a smoothie. What a wonderful idea! Cheers, friend. Spring is almost here!
Thanks, Liz. I hope you try the tangy preserved lemon in a drink soon. So delicious!
Rather jealous of your cold temps. We’re on tenterhooks over the syrup season here, as our mid-week temps will be in the low teens, and overnights above zero. So we will hope that there is another cold snap coming, or we may be out of luck.
It’s so tricky, isn’t it? Here’s hoping you have some cold nights ahead.
Hi, this looks so awesome! I like the way you put lemon and cardamom , such a lovely touch!
Thanks for sharing!
Just what I needed!!! Is amazing how an attitude or something so small like a healthier meal can change so many things in your life. In my case what I needed the most in my hardest moment was meditation, the body is connected with our mind, spirit and soul, and almost all the time we’re not surrounded by easy going environments or situations. I’m an active worker woman, and I didn’t have enough time to get relaxed or eat healthy, and my body was starting to feel it, so I decided to find some way to involve my meditation and eat and start with baby steps to introduce healthier food into my diet on my daily bases, and I end up changing even my clothe!!Now I wear moccasins, a more relaxed way to dress up and that helped me a lot. It may sound drastic, but let me tell you that it worked!! When I’m in there that’s the moment of the day that is for me myself and I. And now I can see and FEEL the difference.
My girlfriend and I, a year ago we have decided to have a different-part-of-the-world-food weekend. We both work a lot, so weekend is when we finally manage to have a meal together. It’s worked great so far for us. Two weeks ago we had Indian food and made these lassis. We loved it so much that decided to have a food-of-Pakistan weekend soon just so we can make lassi again.
Love this drink. My kids will surely love it. Perfect for the summer.
This looks stunning.