Delicious Garden Berry Salad

Our Garden Berry Salad with a tangy balsamic dressing makes a lovely presentation at your table. This beautiful salad is versatile; welcoming your creative additions of various spring greens, nuts, berries and cheeses. The balance of sweet, fresh fruits along with savory cheeses and nuts is perfect for an invigorating salad that is not your typical side.

We love to enjoy this fresh dish during the spring season alongside a variety of main dishes like chicken, salmon, and even grilled shrimp. It makes a colorful addition for brunch tables, and would be a wonderful side for your Easter celebration or Mother’s Day meal.

Salads are some of our favorite recipes. From pasta salads to green salads, potato salads to jello salads; we love salads for sides and light meals. Recipes like this garden berry salad provide the ability to pack in so much nutrients with interesting and satisfying textures.

Salads are also versatile and can be made in any fashion you prefer, topped with indulgent dressing or enjoyed as a light and healthy dish where the flavors of the ingredients shine center stage.

How do you build a salad?

Meals like this garden berry salad can be made in so many ways and it’s very easy once you learn the basics of building a salad. Start with your base of greens, either spinach, lettuce, arugula, or any other greens you love. Add some chopped veggies like cucumber, onions, and tomatoes if you want some additional textures and flavors.

After that it’s all about the toppings. Select the dressing of your choice, add some cheeses and chopped cooked meats if you like, sprinkle with nuts and seeds and enjoy! Salads can be as simple or complex as you like.

What makes the best balsamic dressing?

The beauty of a balsamic dressing is that it is light and also very versatile in how you can prepare it. Of course you can always pickup your favorite pre-made dressing from the store, but it is so very simple to make your own. They can be savory, or have a sweet note like ours does. It comes down to the flavors of the salad and what you like.

These dressings are simply balsamic vinegar, mustards, some honey, a bit of olive oil and maybe some fresh garlic. Ours uses just a bit of plain Greek yogurt to give some added body and creaminess, making it more of a dressing than a vinaigrette. It is delicious.

Another reason why it’s great to make our own food as much as possible, is the integrity of our foods. This interesting article by Rodale Press highlights how careful we must be about the labelling of pre packaged foods. It’s important to keep up with the types of food labeling and what the verbiage means.

What else can I add to my Garden Berry Salad?

Our recipe can be made as directed or used as inspiration to make your own delicious garden berry salad with whatever fruits you enjoy and have on hand. Don’t be afraid to add extras too! Here are some fun ideas to get you going.

• Level up the sweetness and make it with candied pecans and strawberry vinaigrette
• Add blueberries, blackberries, or any other berries you love
• Try this salad with slices of mandarins, pear or apple, even peach slices would be magnificent
• Top with your favorite medley of mixed nuts
• Chia seeds, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds are popular in salads like this
• Feta cheese, mozzarella, gouda, even cheddar are all fantastic additions

Berry Salad ingredients instructions notes and suggestions

• Chop or tear all greens and place in a large salad bowl
• Add the cheese, nuts and any other additions you love in a salad now along with the strawberries
• Toss gently and top with the raspberries as desired
• Dress the salad with our Homemade Creamy Balsamic Dressing

If you are making this salad ahead, wait to add the berries, tomatoes and dressing until right before serving to prevent the greens from becoming soggy. The salad can be partially prepped and kept in the fridge for a few hours until ready to serve.

It is the perfect salad to garnish with extras like sunflower seeds, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, and any other delicious nuts that you love.

Change up the ingredients to fit your preferences, and use fresh in season berries to build a colorful theme and fit your occasion. Throw in some blueberries and make it a red white and blue berry salad for an independence day celebration. This is a fun and versatile salad that everyone loves.

Here is your printable recipe

More salads you may enjoy!

Our creamy pasta pea salad, our refreshing quinoa salad, and our hearty twisted caprese tortellini salad

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This recipe was originally posted May 25, 2015