No doubt, just saying the name of this salad is more than a mouthful, and eating it is as well! When warm weather starts to make its way, I say it’s time to throw some fresh fruit into my salads. This Mixed Berry Spring Salad is refreshing and just what a warm sunny day calls for.
Today was one of those perfect spring days when you forget that winter ever existed and all you had to do the past several seasons to get to this point. Worries, anxiety and stress fade away as you sit in the sun. Everything is just fine when you are sitting in the sun. I am definitely a person whose mood is affected by the weather. Winter feels so dreadfully long. At the first sign of spring I am ready to throw all of my boots and sweaters into storage until next year. The problem with that is living in Cincinnati. You see, in this city, we can experience just about every season over the course of a week. It may be warm and sunny on Monday, snow on Wednesday and then wrap up the week with a few thunderstorms. The unpredictability of the weather can be quite a nuisance. So when I have a gorgeous sunny day to myself, I take it! Spring is here today, so I am going to make the most of it.
One of the things that I haven’t spent a lot of time focusing on is homemade dressings. I still buy a couple different kinds that are mostly clean but could use a little improvement for sure. The thing is, making your own dressing is so easy and honestly, if it’s a good one, you forget about the store bought. This Strawberry Lemon Balsamic Vinaigrette is just that. Strawberries, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, olive oil and ground mustard are all you need to whip up this sweet and refreshing dressing. I’m definitely wondering why it’s taken so long to work on more of my own dressings. The sky is really the limit with this salad as well. I loaded blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries in my salad. You can easily add some goat cheese or another cheese you like if you prefer or toss it with some grilled chicken or another protein. I promise you that if you eat this salad while outside in the sunshine, the flavor is ten times better! So go get out there… don’t forget your sunscreen though!
For more berry goodness, try one of these:
- Lemon Berry Mini Corn Loaves
- Strawberry Poppy Seed Rotisserie Chicken Salad
- Blueberry Lemon Mug Cake
- Mixed Berry Oatmeal Bars
Ingredients
For Salad
- 7-8 cups baby spring mix
- 2/3 cup blueberries
- 2/3 cup raspberries
- 1 cup sliced strawberries
- 1 avocado cubed
- 1/2 cup raw pecans
For the Dressing
- 7-8 strawberries
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 T balsamic vinegar
- 1 T olive oil
- 1/4 tsp ground mustard
- Dash of sea salt
Instructions
- In a large salad bowl, toss all of the ingredients well.
- Using a high speed blender or food processor to combine all of the ingredients for the dressing until smooth. If the dressing is a bit thicker than you like, add a tablespoon of water or two.
- Dress the salad to your liking and serve.
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