This summer berry salad is made with seasonal berries, creamy feta, and crunchy walnuts tossed in a 4-ingredient balsamic dressing. It's a perfect summer side salad that's packed with sweet flavors and fresh ingredients.
About This Recipe
This summer berry salad is best served as a side salad. It's a tasty pairing for summer barbecues or picnics. This recipe is especially popular for the 4th of July because its toppings are red, white, and blue!
Ready in only 10 minutes, this recipe is easy to make and looks impressive. Serve it at your next family gathering or if you need a simple, seasonal side dish for a summer dinner.
Summer Berry Salad Ingredients
Here's what you'll need to make this recipe. The full recipe and ingredient list can be found at the bottom of the page.
For the salad:
- Spinach
- Blueberries
- Blackberries
- Strawberries
- Avocado
- Feta
- Walnut
For the Creamy Balsamic Dressing:
- Olive oil
- Balsamic vinegar
- Honey
- Dijon
- Salt & pepper
How to Make Summer Berry Salad
Here's how to make this recipe in 3 simple steps:
- Add the spinach to a large bowl and top with the remaining salad ingredients.
- Add all of the dressing ingredients to a small bowl or jar. Stir or whisk until completely combined and emulsified (slightly thickened).
- Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss. Serve immediately.
Variations
Here are a few popular substitutions and additions to this recipe:
- Berries: use any combination of 3 cups of berries: strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, or blackberries.
- Feta: swap this out for goat cheese or parmesan if preferred.
- Walnuts: sliced almonds or chopped pecans can be substituted.
- Seeds: sunflower seeds or pepitas are a tasty addition to this recipe.
- Avocado: if you don't have a ripe avocado on hand, you can leave this out and the salad will still be delicious.
About The Dressing
This recipe uses a simple, 4-ingredient balsamic dressing. It's a traditional recipe that's sweet and thick. Balsamic dressing is the perfect pairing for salads with fruit because it coats the fruit and complements the sweetness.
You can make your own balsamic vinaigrette or use your favorite store-bought version.
Other Dressing Options
Sweet dressings go best with this recipe because they pair well with berries. Here are a few other ideas for dressing options:
- Poppyseed vinaigrette
- Strawberry vinaigrette
- Any fruit-based vinaigrette (like orange or raspberry vinaigrette)
Storage
It's recommended to serve this salad immediately after making it so that the flavors and textures are fresh.
If you need to make this salad ahead of time, prepare all of your ingredients and store them separately. You should wait to slice your avocado until you're ready to serve the salad. Combine all of the ingredients and the dressing just before serving.
Similar Recipes
For more salads made with summer berries, check out these favorites:
Summer Berry Salad
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 5 servings 1x
Description
This summer berry salad is made with seasonal berries, creamy feta, and crunchy walnuts tossed in a 4-ingredient balsamic dressing. It's a perfect summer side salad that's packed with sweet flavors and fresh ingredients.
Ingredients
- 6 cups spinach
- 1 cup blueberries
- 1 cup blackberries
- 1 cup diced strawberries
- 1 avocado, diced
- ½ cup crumbled feta
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
Creamy Balsamic Dressing:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon dijon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Add the spinach to a large bowl and top with the remaining salad ingredients.
- Add all of the dressing ingredients to a small bowl or jar. Stir or whisk until completely combined and emulsified (slightly thickened).
- Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss. Serve immediately.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Side Salad
Keywords: salad, summer, berry, strawberry, blueberry, blackberry, balsamic, avocado, spinach, side, side salad, july 4th, 4th of july, memorial day, labor day, barbecue, easy, fruit
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