A Literally Simple Berry Salad
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The perfect summer salad loaded with nutrition and packed with flavor!
A Literally Simple berry salad with a white balsamic vinaigrette dressing is perfect for the summertime, because the ingredients are easy to come by in the summer, healthy and fresh. I get my berries from local berry patches in the summer to save money, get some fresh air and buy in bulk. If you grow your own food, the greens used in this salad are very easy to grow in your garden and use in recipes such as this one. There are also a couple variations to this salad, for you to change up to according to taste and preference.
Ingredients (serves 1-2):
Berry Salad-
- Handful of baby spinach
- Handful of baby arugula
- ½ cup sliced strawberries
- ¼ cup blueberries
- Half of a sliced cucumber
- Handful of halved cherry tomatoes
- 1-2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
- 1-2 tablespoons feta cheese crumbles (optional)
- Half of an avocado sliced on the side (optional)
White Balsamic Vinaigrette-
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 4 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
This salad is a great choice for a quick lunch idea, but if you want to make it for a BBQ or summer party, just multiply the ingredients to serve your guests. If you want added protein and aren’t vegetarian or vegan, slice up a baked chicken breast and add it to the top of the salad before you drizzle on the vinaigrette.
Directions for a Literally Simple Berry Salad:
Salad: Mix the spinach and the arugula together to create a bed of greens. Add the berries, cucumbers and tomatoes to the greens. Sprinkle the walnuts and feta over the salad. Serve with slices of avocado on the side and drizzle with the white balsamic vinaigrette. Enjoy!
Dressing: Mix all dressing ingredients in a large mason jar and seal tight. Shake well until creamy smooth. Adjust to taste. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Nutrition:
The berries, greens, veggies and walnuts in this salad are a perfect combination of vitamins and minerals. The berries are loaded with vitamin C, vitamin A and potassium. The spinach and kale are packed with calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, vitamins C, K, E, A, and folate. All the veggies in this salad are a great source of fiber for your diet. The walnuts are rich in omega-3 fatty acids which are especially good for brain health.
Final words-
What’s really cool about this salad is that you can play up the ingredients to your liking, while keeping the staples- the greens and berries. Don’t like cucumbers? No problem, substitute them for another veggie such as sliced carrots. Not a fan of walnuts? Try substituting sliced almonds so you still get those omega-3 fatty acids. I made this salad the other day and left off the feta cheese, only because I didn’t have it available, but if you are vegan this would need to be omitted. The choice is yours!
Enjoy your berry salad and tag Literally Simple on Instagram if you try the recipe! Feel free to pin it for later too!
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Join the discussion-
Tell me how you would change up this simple berry salad!
Author
Sara Halcumb is a Registered Nurse, wellness blogger, mother and wife.
34 Responses
This berry salad recipe looks delicious!
Thank you Brittany!
This looks lovely! Such a great idea to add fruit to a salad to make it something extra special!
Thank you! Yes, I totally agree with you!
yum! This looks really good, and yes, very easy.
Yes, that’s why I like making it… very easy.
This looks so good! I am always looking for an easy and cool salad to make during the summer.
Thank you, ya it’s so yummy and fresh!
This recipe looks super awesome. Loved it.
Thank you so much!
This looks so beautiful and delicious! I always feel joyful when my food is full of rich, vibrant colors like you have in this salad. What a wonderful, light summer meal to enjoy! Thank you for sharing!
Ya, it’s really pretty once made! And the dressing is really easy to make.
This looks delicious, thank you!!!
Thank you Vanessa!
This looks so delicious! I love berry salads! Will definitely add this to my must try list!
Me too! Thank you Jessica!
Simple, but looks delicious! I usually do a simple mix of spinach and kale, and blueberries, and strawberries. I love that you added a few mere things and made a dressing! I will be picking up the extra ingredients to add to my next salad!
Yay! I know, I love the staple greens and berries. Then you can always switch up the veggies each time.
This looks so yummy! I love salads featuring strawberries and spinach 😛
Me too, so good!
Wonderful salad and so adaptable! Being plant based I’d just omit the feta cheese and it’s perfect! Thanks for sharing.
Yes! I love salads like this one where you can change up the ingredients based on preference.
This salad screams summer.
I know, right!! Fresh and ripe!
This looks delicious! I’ll have to try making it.
Thank you, Yes it’s a good recipe to have.
This salad looks so good! I definitely have to try this. 🙂
Ya, it’s a good one. You will love it.
You had me at feta and avocado. Yum! This sounds delicious and I can’t wait to make it.
I know, I love avocado and feta on a salad.
Thanks for sharing this! I love salads and am always looking for new recipes to make
Yes, same here! Thank you.
I love how simple, yet colorful, healthy, and delicious this salad looks. Plus, I’m always looking for a good white balsamic vinaigrette recipe. Can’t wait to try this!!
The white balsamic dressing is my favorite!