Adding fresh berries to a bed of greens is the best way to create a colorful and flavorful salad base that only needs a bit of crunch and a good dressing to feel complete and this is exactly what we are making today.
Allow me to introduce you to my berries & poppyseed salad…
There are really only 5 elements to this salad and all are pretty flexible depending on what you love.
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- The greens: Use any greens you have on hand. Today, I am using mixed spring greens and baby arugula, but spinach works great, as does kale, frisée, endive or romaine.
- The berries: I usually use this salad to use up any leftover berries I have on hand, because all berries work here. Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, goji berries… if its a berry that you can eat raw, toss it in!
- The nuts: Again, use what you have. I think pecans are my favorite here, but I have also use walnuts and pistachios in this salad and loved it.
- The onion: I am a big fan of raw red onion, but if you are not, feel free to omit it, swap it for shallots or give your onions a quick pickle for a more mild and sweet flavor profile.
- The dressing: Poppyseed is perfect with this salad. If you have a go-to store bought poppyseed dressing that you love, feel free to use that, but if you are interested in making your own, I have a great creamy poppyseed dressing, a lemon poppyseed and a fun pink poppyseed dressing that all pair great with this salad.
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Now that you have all the facts, let’s get started…
Gather your ingredients and give everything a good wash and dry. There isn’t much prep work here, you can thinly slice or dice the red onions, trim the stems off of strawberries and roughly chop the nuts, if they are whole.
Simple, right?
If you are making your own dressing, simply whisk or blend 1/2 cup of plain greek yogurt (full fat greek yogurt will give you the best flavor and creaminess, but lower fat greek yogurt will also work fine) or a good quality mayonnaise along with 2 tablespoons of milk, 2 tablespoons of honey, 1 tablespoon of white vinegar, 2 teaspoons of poppyseeds (I love Spice Islands Poppyseeds!) and 1/4 teaspoon of salt until fully combined.
This is such a wonderful dressing and well worth the extra few minutes it takes to whip up from scratch.
Combine your ingredients, add a little dressing and toss to combine…
This salad proves that you do not need a long list of fancy ingredients or complicated techniques to put something gorgeous, healthy and delicious on your table. Sometimes simple is best and today, this is definitely the case.
This berries & poppyseed salad can be paired with grilled chicken, a great steak or piece of fish if you want to bulk it up a bit, but it is often a weekday lunch on its own in my house.
If you are looking for a bright and cheerful salad that steps out of your typical salad box then I would love for you to give this one a try. You are going to love it…
Berries & Poppyseed Salad
Ingredients
- 4 cups of mixed greens
- 1 cup of fresh berries
- 1/4 cup of pecans, chopped
- 1/4 cup of red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup of poppyseed dressing
Instructions
- Combine the greens, berries, thinly sliced red onions and chopped pecans in a large bowl.
- Add a few tablespoons of poppyseed dressing and toss to combine.
- Divide between 2 salad bowls and enjoy!
