Who doesn’t love a good salad in the summer? I can’t imagine it. It’s so nice to just make a meal of something light and fresh, and not have to bother turning on the stove. And one of my favorite salads is one that combines greens and fruit.
In this salad, I start with baby greens and then add in some ripe, juicy blackberries. Then I just toss in some diced red bell pepper and refreshing cucumber slices and, of course, a handful of cheese.
The salad then gets dressed with a simple, slightly sweet vinaigrette, and a handful of crispy onion strings (or sliced almonds or croutons if you prefer). Serve it as a side or top it with sliced, grilled chicken to make it a full meal.
Cook’s Tips:
- You don’t have to limit yourself to using baby lettuces. My favorite is a combination of baby Swiss chard, baby kale, and baby spinach.
- For the cucumbers, I like to use the mini cucumbers (also called Persian cucumbers) because they have small seeds and thin skin. An English cucumber will also work. If using a regular cucumber, you may want to peel it and scoop out the seeds.
- Crumbled Feta cheese or goat cheese make a delicious substitution for the shaved Parmesan.
- If crispy onion strings aren’t your thing, use another crunchy topping like sliced almonds or even croutons.
I hope you enjoy!
*This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will earn a commission at no additional cost to you if you click through and make a purchase.*
Ingredients
- 6 cups (about 5 ounces) of mixed baby greens
- 1 pint blackberries
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 cup sliced cucumber (I like the Persian or mini cucumbers)
- ½ cup shaved Parmesan cheese (or substitute feta or goat cheese)
- ¼ cup crispy onion strings (or substitute sliced almond)
- ½ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Pinch of salt and ground black pepper
Instructions
- Combine salad ingredients (except for onion strings) in a large salad bowl.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together vinaigrette ingredients.
- Dress the salad with the vinaigrette and toss to combine. Top with onions strings (or topping of choice) and serve immediately.
For more great recipes, visit my friends at:
Full Plate Thursday at Miz Helen’s Country Cottage
Meal Plan Monday at Julia’s Simply Southern
Weekend Potluck at The Country Cook
Congratulations your post is featured on Full Plate Thursday this week! Thanks so much for sharing it with us, we are pinning it to our special features board. Have a great week and come back soon!
Miz Helen
Thanks so much, Miz Helen! Hope you have a great weekend!