Nuts About Berries Salad

5 from 15 votes
9 Comments

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This Nuts About Berries Salad is colorful, flavorful, and refreshing in the spring and summer months when you can pick or purchase delicious, fresh berries.

Plate of Nuts About Berries Salad with a fork and extra dressing on the side.
Featured with this recipe
  1. Ingredients in Nuts About Berries Salad
  2. Health Benefits of Eating Greens and Berries
  3. Where can I find fresh berries?
  4. Ways to use leftover berries
  5. Turn this Berry Salad Recipe into a Main Dish
  6. More Ideas for a Berry Salad Recipe
  7. Frequently Asked Questions
  8. How to Make Nuts About Berries Salad
  9. Nuts About Berries Salad Recipe

My daughter and I tried a similar Nuts About Berries Salad at one of our favorite lunch spots — Cafe Zupas (locations in Arizona, Idaho, Minnesota, Nevada, and Utah). We thought we would give it a try at home and it turned out great. I made a few changes and swapped out the almonds for pecans, added a sprinkle of feta cheese, and made a raspberry vinaigrette dressing instead of serving it with poppy seed dressing. The raspberry vinaigrette has a lighter berry taste and uses less oil. I think it really brings out the flavor of the berries. Either way, you have the makings of a delicious summer berry salad.


Ingredients in Nuts About Berries Salad

Mix and match fresh berries to create your perfect summer salad. You can also substitute candied almonds or walnuts for the cinnamon pecans, or goat cheese or blue cheese for the Feta cheese.

  • Mixed greens, spring mix, or spinach leaves
  • Fresh berries – For a mixed berry salad, use strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and even blackberries.
  • Cinnamon pecans
  • Feta cheese
Ingredients to make Nuts About Berries Salad including spring mix, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, pecans, cinnamon, sugar, honey, salt, olive oil, white wine vinegar and feta.



Health Benefits of Eating Greens and Berries

There are many healthy benefits to eating leafy greens and fresh berries. The combination of the two in this salad tastes great, and will make you feel great too!

Benefits of eating fresh greens

  • Vitamins A, C, and K1
  • High in iron and calcium
  • Contains antioxidants
  • Reduce risk of heart disease

Benefits of eating berries

  • Helps manage cholesterol
  • Improves skin health
  • Reduces inflammation
  • Improves digestion
Colander with washed strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries.


Where can I find fresh berries?

My sister, Elise, used to live in Alaska and could literally stop her car and pick fresh berries on the side of the road. If you are fortunate enough to live in a place where you can do this, or grow your own, you are so lucky! If not, local farmer’s markets usually carry fresh picked berries in the spring and early summer. I can also usually get good berries at Costco. If I splurge and buy them at Costco, it’s a treat because I don’t need to use them all for this salad.

Pouring dressing on a Nuts About Berries Salad.

Ways to use leftover berries

We have berries over ice cream, frozen yogurt or sherbet for dessert, or I use what’s left to make our Grab and Go Breakfast Parfaits. You can also use the remaining berries in our Strawberries and Cream Cake. Or, use the fruit to dip in our delicious Easy Cream Cheese Fruit Dip. So many possibilities with fresh berries!

Turn this Berry Salad Recipe into a Main Dish

Take this gorgeous side salad and turn it into a healthy and light lunch by adding grilled chicken breast, lean steak or even grilled pork chop to the top of the berry spinach salad. Or add a cup of cooked quinoa for extra bulk.

Nuts About Berries Salad with salad tongs.

More Ideas for a Berry Salad Recipe

In addition to the ingredients for this fresh berry salad, you can add in all sorts of yummy produce to create your own unique flavors and textures in a salad. Here are some ideas:

  • Arugula
  • Kale
  • Quinoa
  • Apples
  • Mangoes
  • Grapes
  • Splash of orange juice, lime juice, or lemon juice
  • Sliced avocado
  • Fresh mint
  • Lemon or lime zest

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of nuts go well in a berry fruit salad?

Pecans, almonds, and walnuts go well in salads, especially salads with fruit. They are extra delicious when they are candied. Cashews taste great in Asian inspired salads.

How many calories in Nuts About Berries Salad?

There are 122 calories in a side salad serving of this salad, including the dressing.

Can I use frozen raspberries for the raspberry vinaigrette dressing?

Yes! Frozen raspberries work well in this dressing. Thaw the raspberries before adding them to the blender.

What are the healthiest ingredients for a salad?

As far as flavorful salads go, this recipe is one of the best! You can add any types of chopped raw vegetables, nuts, fruits, dried fruit, legumes or shredded cheeses.

Read Next:35+ Lunch Ideas

More Salads with Berries

How to Make Nuts About Berries Salad

Plate with Nuts About Berries Salad and a fork.

Nuts About Berries Salad

5 from 15 votes
This Nuts About Berries Salad is colorful, flavorful, and refreshing in the spring and summer months when you can pick or purchase delicious, fresh berries.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Course Salad
Cuisine American
Servings 8

Video

Ingredients

Salad

Raspberry Vinaigrette

Cinnamon Pecans

  • ½ cup coarsely chopped pecans or almonds
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon

Instructions

Salad

  • Wash and dry the berries.
    Colander with washed strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries.
  • Remove the green stems and slice the strawberries.
    Cutting board with sliced strawberries and a knife.
  • Place salad mix in a large bowl. Toss berries, feta cheese, and cinnamon pecans over the greens.
    Salad bowl with Nuts About Berries Salad with a cup of raspberry dressing on the side.
  • Top with raspberry vinaigrette.
    Pouring dressing on a Nuts About Berries Salad.

Raspberry Vinaigrette

  • Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
    Raspberry dressing in a blender.

Cinnamon Pecans

  • Heat pecans and sugar in a skillet over medium heat.
    Skillet of pecans with a wooden spoon.
  • Stir constantly until the sugar has just melted. Sprinkle cinnamon over pecans.
    Sugar and pecans in skillet.
  • Immediately place pecans on a piece of aluminum foil to cool. The pecans will burn if they are left in the skillet.
    Cinnamon sugar pecans on parchment paper. Wooden spoon on the side.

Notes

Feel free to make your own variation on this salad.
  • Candied almonds or pecans can be used in place of the cinnamon pecans. 
  • Goat cheese or blue cheese can be used in place of the feta cheese.
  • Red onion can be added for a boost of flavor. 
  • Poppy seed dressing, balsamic vinegar dressing, our homemade creamy Strawberry Vinaigrette, or a store-bought raspberry vinaigrette can be used in place of the homemade dressing. 

Nutrition Information

Calories: 122kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 2gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 138mgPotassium: 174mgFiber: 3gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 515IUVitamin C: 31.4mgCalcium: 35mgIron: 0.8mg

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About the author

Echo Blickenstaff

Echo lives in Pleasant Grove, Utah with her husband, Todd, who works in advertising, and her four kids: two girls and two boys. She deploys her accounting degree as the blog’s resident problem solver. In her time outside the kitchen, Echo loves to get away from the phones and busy schedules and spend quality time with the family. Anywhere’s great – but getting out into nature in the mountains or on the beach – is the best kind of getaway.

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    OMG! All the berries in this were amazing and the pecans were the icing on the salad 🙂

  2. with the raspberry vinaigrette. what size container to put it in and how much does it make, how long will it last?

    1. The raspberry vinaigrette recipe makes about 1 cup. I usually put it in a glass dressing bottle. It will last up to a week in the refrigerator.