Berry Salad With Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette
There’s something so refreshing about salads in the summer. This berry salad with homemade balsamic vinaigrette is made with all the fresh summer berries – strawberries, blueberries and raspberries. Topped with some goat cheese and homemade balsamic vinaigrette, this salad recipe is always a hit at my summer cookouts.
This berry salad with balsamic vinaigrette combines lettuce, summer berries and crumbled cheese to create a light and refreshing dish that is perfect for a summer dinner or cook out. And the red, white and blue colors look great at a 4th of July party or Memorial Day brunch.
The tang of balsamic vinaigrette dressing is the perfect complement for the sweet berries, and the cheese adds some creaminess to the texture. I like to add some walnuts or pecans as well, which finishes it off with a little crunch.
It’s been a hit at my 4th of July parties for years!
Ingredients
This post may contain affiliate links. We make a small commission if you buy the products from these links (at no extra cost to you). As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. But we only recommend products we would use ourselves. For more information, click here to see our disclosures.
Although I usually use all 3 berries in my salad, you can make it with only one or two of them if that’s what you have on hand. Or add some other small fruits like blackberries or pomegranate.
Now on to the shopping list:
For The Salad
Lettuce: I use mixed spring greens but you can substitute any other kind of lettuce if you prefer.
Berries: Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries.
Cheese: Goat cheese
Nuts: (optional) Walnuts or pecans
For The Vinaigrette Dressing
Oil: Olive Oil
Vinegar: Balsamic vinegar
Garlic: 1 clove, minced. I think fresh garlic tastes best. If you’re in a hurry, you can also use 2 teaspoons of the jarred pre-minced kind.
Spices: Dried oregano, Salt, Pepper
Supplies
Strawberry Huller*: Makes removing the leaves from the strawberry so much easier
Knife
Large Bowl
How To Make Berry Salad With Vinaigrette Dressing
To Make The Salad
The salad is very easy to make. You basically clean all of the salad ingredients and then throw them in a bowl 🙂
Using a strawberry huller* makes short work of removing the leaves from the stems.
I usually slice the strawberries to make them easier to eat.
Also, the salad is very forgiving so don’t feel you have to use the exact amounts provided (I certainly don’t!) Feel free to make the salad your own.
Just before serving, toss the salad with enough balsamic vinaigrette to coat the lettuce. Or serve the vinaigrette on the side so your guests can determine how much they want on their own.
To Make The Balsamic Vinaigrette
Add all the ingredients to a lidded jar (mason jars work well).
Then shake well.
The recipe makes quite a bit more than you’ll need for one salad, so you can refrigerate the rest to use at a later date.
It will store in the fridge for up to a month.
Berry Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
This berry salad with balsamic vinaigrette combines lettuce, berries and crumbled cheese to create a light and refreshing salad that is perfect for a summer brunch or cook out. The balsamic vinaigrette dressing works really well with it since it adds a little tang to the sweetness of the berry salad.
Salad
- 8 cups Mixed salad greens
- 1 cup Strawberries (washed)
- 1/2 cup Blueberries (washed)
- 1/2 cup Raspberries (washed)
- 4 oz Crumbled goat cheese or blue cheese
- 1/2 cup Chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
Balsamic Vinaigrette
- 1 cup olive oil
- 4½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 clove of garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
The Salad
- Add the salad greens to the salad bowl.
Remove the leaves from the strawberries and cut them in half.
- Add the chopped strawberries, blueberries and raspberries to the bowl.
- Add the crumbled goat or blue cheese to the salad.
- If you want to use nuts, chop the walnuts and pecans and add them to the salad as well.
- Serve with vinaigrette dressing (see below for the recipe).
The Vinaigrette Dressing
- Add all of the ingredients for the vinaigrette to the mason jar.
- Put on the lid and shake well.
- Although the recipe calls for 3 different types of berries, you can serve it with only one or two of them. Or change the amount of each berry that you use. The salad is very forgiving.
- If you eat a lot of strawberries, consider getting a strawberry huller. They’re very inexpensive and make hulling easy!
- This recipe makes more vinaigrette than you will need for one salad…you can store it in the refrigerator for up to a month.
Have comments or questions about our Berry Salad With Balsamic Vinaigrette? Tell us in the section below.
Pin It So You Don't Forget It!
This post was originally published on June 9, 2016 but was updated with new content on June 21, 2019.
