Prepare The Strawberries. Start by slicing or dicing the strawberries.* Set aside 1/3 of the strawberries (8 oz.) for later. 

Combine Strawberries & Sugar. Add 2/3 of the strawberries (about 1 pound) to a saucepan along with the sugar. 

Make Slurry. In a small bowl, combine lemon juice, cornstarch, vanilla, and salt. Whisk together until completely smooth, then add this slurry to the strawberries and sugar. 

Bring To A Boil. Stir the mixture with a flexible spatula over medium heat until it begins to boil. 

Stir To Thicken. Reduce the heat and stir 4-5 minutes, or until the berries have softened somewhat and the sauce has thickened. (Remember it will thicken more as it cools)

Mix In Remaining Strawberries. Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the remaining 1/3 of the strawberries. Stir to coat well. 

Cool. Let the strawberry topping cool, then transfer to an airtight container or glass jar. Chill in the refrigerator until cold.

Serve & Store. Store strawberry topping in the refrigerator up to 3-4 days. You can freeze this strawberry topping in an airtight freezer bag up to 1 month. Thaw in the refrigerator before using (the texture will soften slightly upon thawing). Enjoy this strawberry topping on strawberry shortcake, cheesecake, ice cream, waffles, pound cake, yogurt, and more!

For A Smooth Sauce. If you don't want any chunks in your strawberry sauce, puree the strawberries in a blender and strain the strawberry mixture through a fine mesh sieve before you proceed with the rest of the sauce directions. (If you want to thicken the sauce more, you can mix up an additional teaspoon of cornstarch + 1 teaspoon of water and add it to the sauce as needed as it simmers)