Salad can get a little boring. When many of us in the U.S. think salad, we think of a more traditional house salad. While there’s nothing wrong with a good house salad, it lacks creativity. This super fast and easy Summer Berry Salad has sweet fresh fruit, slightly bitter salad greens, creamy goat cheese, the salty savory crunch of pumpkin seed, and a zingy tang from balsamic glaze. Even with limited ingredients this salad will blow your mind! Chalk full of micro and macronutrients, this may look like a side dish but it’s really a complete package. It’s healthy, filling, and fresh! That’s the kind of meal I want to eat in the summer sun.
Ingredients
- Spring mix
- Fresh berries
- Goat cheese
- Pumpkin pepitas
- Balsamic glaze
. You don’t have to get spring mix if you really don’t like it, but make sure to use a darker leafy green as opposed to something like romaine or iceberg. Just spinach is a great alternative.
. Fresh berries can be costly, but they’re worth it for this salad. Frozen berries are still just as nutritious, but they will be awfully cold and once thawed will add a lot of water to your meal. Try choosing a berry that is local and in season where you live.
. I prefer plain goat cheese for this salad but if you have a favorite sweet goat cheese you can sub it in. Just make sure it is indeed a cheese that is either plain or sweeter. You wouldn’t want to accidentally add in your favorite dill wrapped goat cheese log!
. You can use whichever mix of seeds and nuts you like best, but I recommend pumpkin pepitas. Pepitas are the pumpkin seed without the husk, and they are only harvested from certain varieties of squash. The pepita is typically an olive green color and smaller than a pumpkin seed. They have less fiber but are easier on digestion, and can be found in most grocery stores.
. Balsamic glaze is a game changer and I highly recommend buying it. The glaze is made from the long process of simmering balsamic vinegar. The flavor is the same, but the textures are wildly different. Because the moisture is cooked out of the glaze, it’s thick and sticky, whereas the vinegar is thin like any other vinegar. Balsamic glaze can be found in the aisle of your grocery store that carries salad dressings and/or condiments.
Meal Prepping & Affordability
Fresh berries and goat cheese aren’t cheap. They aren’t always expensive, but they’re a step above frozen fruit and regular balsamic vinegar. One basic way to make this cheaper is to buy enough to meal prep it for the week. Often times buying the larger size option of certain foods can save you money (as long as you actually use it). To meal prep this salad, follow the recipe instructions but leave the glaze and/or oil out until you’re ready to eat.
Another way to make this less expensive is to buy seasonally and from larger stores like Costco. Often they will have a 2 pack of plain goat cheese that’s priced under $10 and lasts for quite a while. They’ve also often got larger clamshells of fresh berries that are at least a few dollars cheaper than at your local grocery store. If you don’t have access to a Costco, you could always swap out the berries for a more affordable fruit that’s in season.
How to Make this Salad
This salad is easy and fast to put together. Just lay down a bed of greens and top it with your washed and perhaps cut fruit. Then take a slice of goat cheese and crumble it between your fingers over the salad. Sprinkle on some nuts and seeds and drizzle on some good quality olive oil and balsamic glaze and you’re good to go. This salad doesn’t keep well once the oil and vinegar have been added, so eat it soon after making it.
Summer Berry Salad
Equipment
- Large Bowl
Ingredients
- 3 cups spring mix
- 1/2 cup fresh berries, washed and sliced if needed
- 1/4 cup plain goat cheese, crumbled
- 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds, can sub with sunflower kernels
Optional
- balsamic vinegar glaze, drizzled on top
- olive oil, drizzled on top
Instructions
- Layer ingredients from bottom to top: salad, berries, cheese, seeds.
- Toss salad and drizzle optional balsamic glaze over the top.
Notes
- When prepping for work, take vinegar on the side so you don’t get soggy garbage.
- If you don't have balsamic glaze you can use balsamic vinegar, but it is watery so it won't rest on top of the salad like glaze does.