Fresh berries, greens, red onion, avocado, and toasted almonds all covered in a perfectly sweet honey poppy seed dressing! This berry salad recipe can be whipped up in less than 15 minutes and is the perfect Summer salad!
Summer recipes are still in full swing in my house and I love a simple, sweet salad. This fresh and fruity berry salad with honey poppy seed dressing is beyond delicious and is my go-to dish when there’s a bounty of berries.
This version of that summer-riffic salad includes chopped greens, chunks of avocado, crunchy red onions and toasted almonds, and – of course, lots of berries. All tossed with a tangy and sweet poppy seed dressing you’ll want to pour onto everything.
It’s a super quick salad to pull together and the dressing can be made by throwing all the ingredients in a mason jar!
Ingredients
For the salad you need:
- Spinach
- Romaine
- Blueberries
- Strawberries
- Blackberries
- Red onion
- Avocado
- Sliced almonds
For the honey poppy seed dressing you need:
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Apple cider vinegar
- Honey (or agave)
- Dijon mustard
- Poppy seeds
- Salt (just a pinch!)
How to Make Honey Poppy Seed Dressing
Once you figure out how easy it is to make amazingly flavorful (and healthier!) dressing from scratch, I promise you won’t want the store bought bottled stuff again.
This honey poppy seed dressing is one of my favorites. Even though it has basically only 5 ingredients, when combined they create a bold and tasty, slightly creamy dressing. It pairs perfectly with the sweet fruits and crunchy almonds in this Summer salad!
To make homemade dressing simply pour all of the ingredients into a mason jar, seal tightly, and shake. Give it a taste and adjust the seasonings if needed!
Use the dressing right away or keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
How to Make this Summer Berry Salad
All you need is a large bowl and 15 minutes to put together this fantastically fresh dish!
- Toast the almonds: Cook the almond slivers in a pan over low medium heat, stirring frequently. They should become light brown after about 7 minutes or so – but be careful that they don’t burn.
- Prep the fresh ingredients: Chop the greens, strawberries, and red onion.
- Assemble the salad: Add greens to a large bowl, then top with all of the berries and onion. Add half of the dressing and gently toss. Now add the avocado and almonds (set aside about 2 tablespoons for serving) and toss again to coat. You can add more dressing if you like.
- Serve the salad: Plate the salads and top with the reserved toasted almond slices. If there is extra dressing you can serve on the side.
Recipe Variations
- Add chickpeas, white beans, quinoa, or tofu for an extra boost of protein.
- Substitute honey with maple syrup or agave to make this a vegan salad.
- Use kale, arugula, mixed lettuce or any greens you like in substitute of spinach and mixed greens.
- You can make ahead… Kinda. I recommend prepping all of the ingredients – make the dressing, chop all the produce, toast the almonds – but store everything separately in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble.
If you tried this berry salad, let me know in the comments below and share a photo using #mindfulavocado. I’d love to hear from you! Want to see more recipes? Let’s get social! CONNECT WITH ME on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest to see what I’m currently cooking up!
Berry Salad with Honey Poppy Seed Dressing
Ingredients
- 3 cups spinach chopped
- 1 head romaine chopped (about 3-4 cups)
- 1/2 cup strawberries hulled and sliced
- 1/2 cup blueberries
- 1/2 cup blackberries
- 1/2 red onion sliced thinly
- 1 medium avocado pitted, peeled, and diced
- 1/3 cup sliced almonds plus 2 Tablespoons for serving
Dressing:
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 3 Tablespoons honey can substitute with agave or maple syrup if vegan
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
- pinch salt
Instructions
- Add all ingredients for dressing into a mason jar. Shake well. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.
- Toast almonds: In a small pan over low-medium heat, cook almonds until fragrant and a light golden brown. Stir frequently to prevent burning! This takes about 7-10 mintutes.
- Add spinach, romaine, berries, and onions to a large bowl.
- Pour half the dressing on top of the salad and toss well to coat.
- Add avocado and almonds (reserving the 2 Tablespoons for serving). Toss well. Add more dressing if needed.
- When ready to serve, put salad on a plate or bowl. Top with extra toasted almonds!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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This is MY kind of salad! I love combining sweet and savory in a lot of things, but esp. salads. This dressing looks delicious too, I always forget I have poppy seeds… and here’s a perfect way to use them!
Yes! I usually end up buying a huge bag of poppy seeds and forget about them! Love making this dressing though. Glad you enjoyed!
That dressing sounds delicious, and a great pairing with berries. I can imagine some nuts or seeds in there too would also work well.
Yes some walnuts, pecans, or sliced almonds would taste fantastic!
Yum, this salad is so colorful and healthy! I love poppy seed dressings! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Beth!
That looks stunning such a great and vibrant summer salad, love the variation idea of adding chickpeas too, their earthy flavour is often so good with fruit.
Agreed! Thank you, Brian!
mmm mmm mmm !!! i loved reading about this recipe , i’d love trying diff variations of this – ill have to cook it !!
Yes, it’s very customizable!