We love a salad that is fresh, flavorful, versatile, and pretty to look at. This Berry Salad is just that! It is filled with crisp greens, fresh, sweet berries, and crunchy cinnamon-sugared almonds, and is drizzled with the yummiest strawberry vinaigrette. Not only does it make the perfect side dish for your meal, but it can also become the main dish if you want to bulk it up with some optional add-ins (see below!).
What ingredients do you need to make this berry salad?
For the salad:
Romaine lettuce or spring mix
Romaine lettuce and spring mix are our two favorite options for this salad—feel free to choose your favorite option for your salad base. If you select romaine lettuce and are looking to make it even faster and easier to make, grab some pre-chopped lettuce next time you’re at the store!
Berries
We love to include lots of delicious berries—it is a berry salad after all! We have strawberries and blackberries in the salad pictured here, however, raspberries and blueberries are perfect to include as well!
Sliced raw almonds, maple syrup, and cinnamon
This is all you’ll need to make some sugared almonds. You can always purchase sugared almonds from the store and skip this step, but we highly recommend making them on your own! It only adds a few minutes and really elevates the flavor and crunch factor of the salad.
Optional additions
If you want to bulk up your salad a little bit more, here are some ideas for optional additions to include:
- Goat cheese or feta
- Diced avocado
- Chopped bacon
- Grilled chicken or steak
- Cooked wild rice or quinoa
For the strawberry vinaigrette:
Red wine vinegar and olive oil
Oil and vinegar are essential for any vinaigrette! Here we’ve selected red wine vinegar (to help maintain a beautiful pink color) and olive oil. Avocado oil could also work well here.
Strawberry jam
The strawberry jam adds the perfect amount of sweetness to cut down the sharp and acidic flavor that comes from the vinegar. It also helps to make the dressing that beautiful pink color we just talked about!
Salt
A dash of salt is all you’ll need to bring all the flavors together.
Minced garlic
You can mince your own garlic or buy pre-minced garlic (bottled or in frozen cubes).
What equipment do you need?
You don’t need much to make this salad!
- A large bowl
- A knife and cutting board
- A non-stick pan
- A rubber spatula or wooden spoon
- A mason jar or Tupperware container
How do I make this berry salad?
The first step will be to sugar the almonds so that they have time to cool. In a medium saucepan, add the sliced raw almonds, pure maple syrup, cinnamon, and a dash of salt. Turn the stove to medium-low heat and continuously stir the almonds. Be patient, this process will take several minutes but eventually, the maple syrup will “dry up” and coat the almonds. The almonds are done when they are toasted and the maple syrup is dried up and no longer liquidy. Once it gets to this point, they can burn quickly, so keep an eye on them! Remove the almonds from the pan and spread them out on parchment paper to cool.
Add the chopped romaine lettuce to a large bowl. Next, evenly sprinkle the berries on top. Sprinkle the cooled almonds on top. Add any other desired toppings: goat cheese, diced avocado, chopped bacon, grilled chicken, steak, etc.
In a mason jar or Tupperware, add all of the dressing ingredients. Seal the jar or Tupperware and shake until the dressing is fully combined. Alternatively, blend the mixture in the blender for a few seconds.
If you will have leftovers, we recommend adding the dressing to each individual portion to prevent it from becoming soggy.
Anything else to consider?
We love serving this berry salad with the following recipes:
Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Is this berry salad (GF/DF/V/VEG)?
Yes! This berry salad checks each of these boxes. However, if you choose to include any optional toppings, make sure they meet your specific needs.
If you make this berry salad, please let us know how it turns out in the comments below and/or rate the recipe! Don’t forget to tag us on Instagram to show us your finished product—it makes our day every time we see you trying the recipes we love!
Berry Salad
Ingredients
For the salad
- 6 cups chopped romaine lettuce or spring mix
- 2 cups berries (raspberries, sliced strawberries, blueberries, blackberries)
- ½ cup sliced raw almonds
- 2 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- Dash of salt
Optional additions
- Goat cheese or feta
- Diced avocado
- Chopped bacon
- Grilled chicken or steak
- Cooked wild rice or quinoa
For the strawberry vinaigrette
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup strawberry jam
- ½ teaspoon minced garlic
- Dash of salt
Instructions
- Begin by sugaring the almonds. In a medium saucepan, add the sliced raw almonds, pure maple syrup, cinnamon, and a dash of salt. Turn the stove to medium-low heat and continuously stir the almonds. Be patient, this process will take several minutes but eventually, the maple syrup will “dry up” and coat the almonds. The almonds are done when they are toasted and the maple syrup is dried up and no longer liquidy. Remove the almonds from the pan and spread them out on parchment paper to cool.
- Add the chopped romaine lettuce to a large bowl. Next, evenly sprinkle the berries on top. Sprinkle the cooled almonds on top. Add any other desired toppings: goat cheese, diced avocado, chopped bacon, grilled chicken, steak, etc.
- In a mason jar or Tupperware, add all of the dressing ingredients. Seal the jar or Tupperware and shake until the dressing is fully combined. Alternatively, blend the mixture in the blender for a few seconds.
- Serve the dressing with each individual salad portion to avoid the salad from becoming soggy.
Notes
NUTRITION
1 serving as listed in the nutrition label is the equivalent of 1.5 cups of salad with 23 grams of dressing.
The recipes can be found on My Fitness Pal by searching "BWB Berry Salad" and “BWB Strawberry Dressing.”
The nutrition content provided for each recipe is an estimate created through the My Fitness Pal database. Please be aware that the nutritional content of each recipe may vary based on the products you use, the precision of your measurements, and the source you use to obtain nutrition data. While we try to provide accurate information, we give no guarantee regarding the accuracy of the nutritional information provided.
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