While you can (and should) eat salads year round, there’s something about using fresh seasonal berries that seems to perk up an ordinary salad. If you like the crunchy, sweet flavor of veggie and fruit salads, you’re going to love this mixed berry salad with homemade raspberry vinaigrette. It’s a yummy side to pair with grilled meats this spring and summer!
How to Make a Berry Salad
While you typically think of fruit salads as just being fruit, pairing it with lettuce or spinach can add some extra fiber and greens with your diet. The great thing is, though, that you still mostly taste the fruit and the sweet raspberry vinaigrette. The almonds add a nice crunch and texture, too.
But you don’t have to use strawberries and blackberries, of course, though they’re my favorite. Blueberries and raspberries pair nicely together. Blueberries, blackberries and strawberries also pair well with lemon, so don’t be surprised if you see me squeezing a lemon wedge over most any salad I eat. I’ve never created a bad combination with that trick!
Note: If you don’t have rice wine vinegar on hand, you can substitute balsamic vinegar with no trouble at all. I never keep much rice wine vinegar just because I don’t use it that often, so either are definitely fine in this recipe.
Mixed Berry Salad Recipe
Before you make this mixed berry salad, refrigerate your fruit, if you can. It makes it a bit more refreshing that way, especially on a hot summer day. When you’re ready to make your salad, follow these steps:
Step 1 – Add first 5 ingredients to a food processor. Blend until smooth, and adjust ingredients as necessary. You may need a little more salt for your liking.
Step 2 – Wash and chop your lettuce and wash your berries.
Step 3 – Add lettuce, berries, mint and almonds to a large bowl. Drizzle with prepared raspberry vinaigrette.
Step 4 – Serve immediately, preferably on chilled salad plates.
Mixed Berry Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- ¼ c. rice wine vinegar
- 1/3 c. fresh raspberries washed
- 2 t. fresh lemon juice
- ½ c. extra virgin olive oil
- ½ t. sea salt or kosher salt
- 1 head Romaine lettuce washed, stem removed, and chopped
- 1/3 c. fresh mint chopped
- 1 c. fresh strawberries washed, hulled, and sliced
- 1 c. fresh blackberries washed
- 1/3 c. sliced almonds toasted
Instructions
- Add vinegar, raspberries, lemon juice, and olive oil to a food processor and blend until smooth. Add salt, mix, and taste, adjusting ingredients as necessary. Set aside.
- Add lettuce, mint, strawberries, blackberries, and toasted almonds to a large bowl. Gently toss to combine ingredients.
- Drizzle with raspberry vinaigrette and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
If you liked our post on how to make a berry salad, try our other yummy salad recipes!
Three Bean Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette
This three bean salad is perfect for picnics and potlucks. It’ll pair well with grilled or barbecued meats, and it’s a classic dish that you can’t go wrong with!
Cheeseburger Salad with Big Mac Dressing
Our cheeseburger salad is soooo good if you’re watching your carbs. And even if you’re not, it’s a really tasty take on your favorite burger.