This Red White and Blue Salad is a refreshing summer salad with berries that's easy to toss together and a great addition to any patriotic summer holiday menus. It's a mix of seasonal juicy blueberries, ripe strawberries, feta cheese, and sliced almonds, tossed with fresh greens and a little feta.
Sprinkled with a light vinaigrette, it brings all the bright summer flavors to the table with a little healthy tossed in. Great for Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day BBQs, and summer picnics.
This berry salad just yells summer from the top of its lungs. Blueberries and strawberries are the berries most associated with the long hot days of summer and they are perfect as this salad's star attraction.
But wait, I did say red, WHITE, and blue. So where does the white come in? Feta cheese! Its addition not only brings a pop of white to the dish but helps boost the flavor quotient with its bold tanginess.
Mixed with fresh greens and sliced almonds for a little crunch, it's the perfect refreshing side dish for summer picnics and barbecues.
Table of contents
Easy Citrus Vinaigrette
Of course, a salad needs a little dressing to bring out those bright summer flavors, right? And all this summer salad needs is this easy light citrus vinaigrette to top it off.
In fact, I love this vinaigrette so much that it has become my new go-to for any salad I make. A mix of tangy lime juice, lemon zest, and olive oil is whisked with honey to give it a nice sweet-tart edge. Perfection!
Expert Tips for the Best Summer Salad
- Keep the vinaigrette aside and add just before serving to keep the greens crisp.
- When making this mixed green berries salad ahead of time, make the vinaigrette in a covered container you can shake and store in the refrigerator. This vinaigrette can be made up to two days ahead. Chop strawberries and place them in a covered container. Assemble right before serving.
- For brown-bagging it, place a little dressing in the bottom of a mason jar then fill with berries, feta, almonds then greens. Screw-on the lid without shaking salad and store in the refrigerator for the next day.
Recipe Variations
How to make this recipe your own
- Change out the greens for either all spinach or a combination of the two.
- Don't care for feta? Try some bleu cheese, goat cheese or gorgonzola instead.
- Add walnuts or pecans instead of the almonds. Or go all out and top with candied pecans or crispy roasted chickpeas.
- Add a small amount of mint for a more refreshing edge.
- Try shredded coconut for a more tropical flavor.
- Try switching out the strawberries and blueberries for raspberries and blackberries.
- The citrus vinaigrette is awesome but a light raspberry vinaigrette would work great too!
- Make it a lunch by topping the salad with rotisserie chicken, shrimp or baked/fried fish.
How to make this summer salad with berries
The Vinaigrette
- Gather all ingredients for vinaigrette - olive oil, lime juice, honey, lemon zest, and salt. (step 1)
- Place lime juice in a small bowl and squeeze in honey. (step 2)
- Pour in olive oil. (step 3)
- Add lemon zest. (step 4)
- Whisk all ingredients together. (step 5)
- Place in a small pitcher or jar and refrigerate before serving. (step 6)
The Salad
- Place greens, berries and almonds in large bowl. Sprinkle feta cheese on top.
- When ready to serve, drizzle the mixed berry salad with a small amount of the citrus vinaigrette. Serve remaining vinaigrette on the side.
What dinners go best with this light salad
I love to serve this summer salad with berries with barbecue dishes such as Grilled London Broil, Grilled Salmon, or even a 4th of July bleu cheese burger and hot dogs.
It’s also great as a side for light dinners like my Air Fryer Pork Chops or grilled chicken.
Use extra strawberries and blueberries to make a Mason Jar Parfait for a light dessert.
As you can see, this Red, White, and Blue Salad with blueberries and strawberries is the perfect patriotic salad for summer's holidays from Memorial Day to the 4th of July to Labor Day and, really, any time the weather heats up. Enjoy!
More Summer Salad Recipes
Strawberry Spinach Salad with Candied Pecans, goat cheese, and raspberry vinaigrette.
Peach, Plum and Cherry Salad from The Organic Kitchen
Strawberry Salad with Chicken, avocado and bacon.
Find lots of healthy salad recipes here on 2CM!
Red White and Blue Salad with Berries
Ingredients
Salad Dressing
- ¼ cup light extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon grated lemon peel
- 3 Tablespoons lime juice
- 2 teaspoons honey
- ½ teaspoon salt
Salad
- 5 oz mixed greens
- 6 oz blueberries
- 8 oz strawberries quartered
- ¼ cup sliced almonds
- 4 oz feta cheese crumbled
- Salt & pepper
Instructions
Citrus Vinaigrette
- Whisk all salad dressing ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside.
Summer Salad
- In a large bowl, combine greens, strawberries, blueberries and almonds.
- Sprinkle feta cheese on top and toss together.
- Drizzle with citrus vinaigrette just prior to serving.
Notes
Nutrition
This post has been updated with step-by-step instructions and new photos. The original post was published on September 4, 2015.
