Mixed Berry Salad With Tangy Vinaigrette

Mixed Berry Salad – This Berry Green Salad is packed with gorgeous berries, nuts, and avocado, tied together with a bright, tangy dressing. It’s the perfect yummy side dish or main dish! (Gluten-Free, Vegan)

Are you a salad person? I totally am, especially when the weather warms up. I love that they’re fresh, light, and usually don’t require much cooking or time in the kitchen. But I don’t just mean any salad…

I have a hard and fast rule when it comes to salads: NO BORING SALADS ALLOWED.

Instead, I love packing my salads high with mix-ins and always make sure to top them with a tasty dressing to tie the flavors together. That way my salad feels like a celebration of fresh flavors and textures instead of a sad, boring pile of lettuce to sigh at.

This Mixed Berry Salad definitely DELIVERS.

With a trio of colorful berries, yummy mix-ins for crunch & flavor, and a tangy dressing that pulls it all together, this mixed berry green salad is anything but boring.

Here’s what you need to make it…

HERE’S WHAT GOES INTO MY MIXED BERRY SALAD:

SPRING MIX OR YOUR FAVORITE GREENS. I love using spring mix with berry salads. The color and flavor really complement fresh berries. If you’d like to use something else, arugula, kale, or spinach all work! I don’t recommend iceberg or romaine for this particular salad.

STRAWBERRIES + RASPBERRIES + BLUEBERRY. Now for some big color and flavor! I love using fresh strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries for this mixed berry salad. The flavors and colors are so fresh and bright.

AVOCADO. Next, I add some creamy diced avocado for contrast. Avocado is a natural pairing with berries and helps fill out this salad so it sticks with you longer. (Thank you, healthy fats + fiber!)

CANDIED NUTS. Then, I add some toasted or candied nuts for some crunch. I typically use almonds, walnuts, or pecans for this salad. Use what you like best! (PS – I use this method for naturally-sweetened candied nuts. Works like a charm with almonds, pecans, and walnuts!)

A TANGY DRESSING. Lastly, I add a bright, tangy dressing to tie my mixed berry salad together. I based my dressing off this store-bought one (which you could totally use if you’d prefer). Mine’s naturally sweetened and made with ingredients like red wine vinegar, lemon juice, honey or agave, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and avocado oil.

FILL IT OUT A BIT MORE WITH ONE OF THESE ADD-INS. 

This mixed berry salad tastes amazing as written. We’ve eaten it for dinner, used it as a colorful side dish, and served it at potlucks and get-togethers. If you’d like to fill it out even more (sometimes you just need a little more oomph if it’s your main dish), you can try…

• GRILLED OR ROTISSERIE CHICKEN. You can easily add some chicken to your mixed berry green salad. The flavor is pretty neutral and the dressing tastes great with the chicken!
• SHRIMP. Or, you can use shrimp. It’s a little less expected but really delicious.
• BACON. My mom always put bacon in her spinach salads, and it’s tasty here with my mixed berry salad, too!
• FETA OR GOAT CHEESE. We’re dairy-free, but a little feta or goat cheese would be a natural paring with the fresh berries, avocado, and nuts. Plus, it would totally give this salad some red, white & blue vibes during summer!
• QUINOA OR WILD RICE. For another plant-based/vegan option, I love adding some cooked quinoa or wild rice to this mixed berry salad. Both will give you some added protein and fiber. (Ever since I started using wild rice in this kale salad, I can’t get enough!)

FAQ + TIPS & TRICKS FOR THE BEST MIXED BERRY SALAD:

NOTE: IT’S A LOT OF BERRIES! I like lots of toppings, so this mixed berry salad will be pretty heavy on the berries. If you’d rather, you can reduce the amount of berries to 3/4 cup each instead of 1 cup each. Or, you can increase the amount of greens to distribute them further. It’ll work either way!

DRESS THE SALAD RIGHT BEFORE SERVING. Once the dressing has been added to the greens and berries, everything will start to soften and break down a bit, so I recommend dressing the salad right before serving. Note: You likely won’t need all the dressing if you’re serving it in one big bowl.

CAN I MAKE THIS AHEAD OF TIME? I wouldn’t recommend making this mixed berry salad too far in advance since the berries will start to soften and the avocado will oxidize (brown) once it’s cut. You can wash and prep your berries ahead of time, prep your greens, make or prepare the almonds, and mix up the dressing, but I don’t recommend assembling it until close to the time you plan to eat it.

CAN I USE SPINACH INSTEAD? Absolutely. If spring mix isn’t your jam, you can use spinach or kale. Arugula also works (as long as you’re up for its peppery bite!)

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MAKE IT KID-FRIENDLY: SERVE THIS SALAD FAMILY-STYLE! Whenever we have salads for dinner, my kids (who still struggle with pickiness) do MUCH better if I keep all the components separate and let everyone build their own. A little autonomy can go a long way in helping kids to try new foods, so where they might have rejected the mixed salad out of hand, they might end up eating most of the components if they get to build it themselves. So, one child might choose lettuce + dressing with their berries on the side. The other might only want berries + almonds + avocado. Either way, everyone’s had a chance to try the salad + we haven’t had an argument over dinner. Win!

CRAVING MORE YUMMY SALADS? YOU MIGHT LIKE:

• Wild Rice Kale Salad
• Peach Berry Fruit Salad
• Mediterranean Orzo Pasta Salad (Vegan + Gluten-Free Friendly!)
• BLT Salad With Creamy Ranch Dressing
• Thai Cucumber Salad

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