Blackberry Salad Recipe

Name: Blackberry Salad
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 2 min
Total time: 22 min
Ingredients: 1 medium lemon, halved; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 medium lemon, zested; 3 tablespoons olive oil; 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar; 2 tablespoons honey ((to taste, and use arunny variety)); 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt ((to taste)); 1/4 teaspoon black pepper ((to taste)); juice of 1/2 the charred lemon; small handful of basil ribbons ((optional)); 1 cup radicchio, chopped and soaked in ice water ((optional, this is about 1/4 of a small head of radicchio) ); 5 ounces arugula; 1 medium avocado, cut into strips; 10 ounces blackberries, washed ((about 1 pint)); 1 ounce sliced almonds; 2 ounes creamy goat cheese, crumbled

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Dive into this Blackberry Salad Recipe that's bursting with juicy blackberries, creamy avocado and goat cheese, peppery arugula, and crunchy almonds with a citrusy-sweet dressing. It's a fresh twist on salad and like summer in a bowl!

ruffled white salad plate with a blackberry and avocado salad, surrounded by lemons, blackberries, and crunchy almonds.

If you're looking for a simple departure from your average salad, you'll love this simple twist bursting with fresh blackberries. This delicious blackberry salad is perfect for a hot summer day, and you only need a few minutes to get it on the table!

If you're looking for more tasty summer salads made with summer fruit, you'll love this grilled peach salad or this strawberry and goat cheese salad!

You may also like our spinach and arugula salad, this burrata salad, this steak salad, or this cabbage and carrot salad.

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❤️Why we love this recipe
🥗Ingredients
✨Substitutions
✨Variations
🔪Prep work
📋Instructions
✨Tips & tricks
💭Frequently Asked Questions
More Recipes To Consider
📖 Recipe
💬 Community

❤️Why we love this recipe

Bursting with summery flavor. The combo of sweet, tart, creamy, and herbaceous bursts in every bite of this salad, and it really captures the essence of summer with the fresh ingredients. It's light and refreshing, yet satisfying. It's a delightful departure from the usual greens-based salad.
Quick and easy recipe. This recipe is made in 30 minutes with minimal prep. It's the perfect side dish for cooks of all skill levels! Very little effort for a delicious result.
Simple ingredients. Everything you need to make this recipe can be found in your pantry or can be picked up when grocery shopping at most stores. In the summer months, look for delicious blackberries at the farmer's market!
Suitable for multiple diet types & customizable. This salad is naturally gluten-free, low in carbs, and vegetarian. It can also easily be modified to nut free, dairy free, vegan, and completely sugar free in a few simple swaps. You can make it your own by switching it up, and can even be made into an entire meal!
Crowd pleaser. The vibrant colors make for a beautiful salad to wow guests. It's perfect for gatherings, picnics, BBQs, and summer dinners.

🥗Ingredients

Here are the ingredients we used for this recipe. You can find more information for substitutions below.

Radicchio. Optional, but adds a touch of bitterness that works very well with all of the sweet and creamy elements in the salad. We do recommend soaking it in ice-cold water for 30 minutes while you prep your other ingredients to reduce some of the bitterness.
Arugula.
Olive oil
Lemons. Lemon juice and zest are both used in our quick dressing. We char the lemons on a grill pan for an extra layer of flavor. Feel free to skip this step.
Balsamic vinegar.
Honey.
Basil.
Kosher salt & black pepper.
Blackberries. Juicy, plump, and sweet blackberries with no sign of spoilage. You definitely want to go with fresh berries here.
Avocado.
Creamy goat cheese. Also known as chévre. Optional, but very good!
If you'd like to use another dressing, feel free! Our honey lemon vinaigrette, or this creamy balsamic dressing, or this pesto vinaigrette would all make wonderful options. All of these can be made a few days in advance and kept in the fridge.

Visit the recipe card for the full quantities and nutritional information.

✨Substitutions

Here are a few suggestions on additional flavors to try, or simple variations to this recipe.

Swap the lemon. No lemons? No problem, swap it for lime, or your favorite citrus. If using lime, we don't recommend charring it, as the flavor will become bitter.
Different cheese. If you don't care for goat cheese, you can always swap in your favorite cheese. Our top choices would be feta cheese, blue cheese crumbles. Parmesan cheese or manchego would also be delicious!
Swap the greens. Don't like arugula and radicchio? No problem! You can use any leafy green you prefer, like butter leaf lettuce, romaine lettuce, baby greens like baby spinach or kale, or mixed spring greens.
Different nuts. You're definitely not limited to using almonds here. Some good swaps would be pine nuts, pecans, walnuts, or macadamia nuts.
Swap the honey. If you prefer, you can use any other sweetener of choice, like maple syrup or agave nectar.
Use different herbs. Swap out the basil for your favorite fresh herbs. We'd recommend fresh mint or parsley.

✨Variations

Dairy free. You can omit the goat cheese entirely, or swap in your favorite dairy free cheese.
Vegan. Follow the steps above for dairy free, and swap the honey for your favorite vegan alternatives, like maple syrup or agave syrup.
Sugar free. If you follow a low carb, keto, or sugar free diet, you can easily swap the honey in the dressing for a sugar free honey alternative (affiliate link) or your favorite sugar free sweetener or sugar free maple syrup.
Nut free. Feel free to omit the nuts in this recipe. They can also be swapped for seeds of your choice.
Add seeds. Feel free to add some more seeds for texture, crunch, and nutrition. Our top choices would be pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and hemp hearts.
Add protein. Add your favorite grilled protein to make this a complete summer meal. Try adding some leftover lemon herb chicken for the perfect bite!
Add more veggies. The sky is the limit here with veggies. You can add some thinly sliced red onion, grilled zucchini, or some summer tomatoes.
Add extra fresh fruit. You can always add other fruit that pairs well with blackberries. Our top choices would be peaches, strawberries, cherries, raspberries, or blueberries!
Add mustard to the dressing. For extra tang, add a bit of dijon mustard or stone ground mustard to the dressing mixture like our honey lemon vinaigrette dressing.

🔪Prep work

If using radicchio: Start by placing chopped radicchio in a bowl of ice water for 30 minutes while you prep the other ingredients! This will help eliminate a lot of the bitterness and make it edible. After 30 minutes, drain and use a salad spinner (affiliate link) or paper towels to dry it off completely.
Allow the goat cheese to sit out for 30 minutes or so at room temperature so that it softens up a bit.
Gently wash and dry the blackberries. Be very careful! Blackberries are quite delicate.
Zest the lemon, then cut in half lengthwise.
If charring the lemon: Grease a grill pan, then preheat it over medium-high heat.
Cut avocados into thin strips or dice them.
Cut basil into ribbons, also known as chiffonade.
Measure out all remaining ingredients.

📋Instructions

Optional step - If skipping charring the lemon, skip to step 4.

Brush the lemon halves (flesh side) with olive oil, reserving most of the olive oil for making a dressing. (Image 1)

Place the lemon cut side down on a hot grill pan, and grill for 1-2 minutes. (Image 2)

Hand brushing a half of a lemon with a pastry brush with olive oil.

two lemon halves cut side down on a cast iron griddle pan grilling.

Once the lemon has some nice grill marks, remove them from the pan and set aside. (Image 3)

tongs holding a lemon half with grill marks up to the screen.

To make the dressing, combine the remaining olive oil, honey, balsamic vinegar, charred lemon juice, lemon zest, basil ribbons, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl. (Image 4)

Whisk vigorously until well combined. Set aside. (Image 5)

olive oil, honey, vinegar, basil, and seasonings in a mixing bowl to make a quick dressing.

whisked dressing ingredients in a mixing bowl with a whisk to make a quick dressing.

✨Pro Tip: The dressing can be made up to 4 days in advance and stored in the fridge. If the dressing separates after sitting for a while, simply whisk it together again vigorously. If you'd like the dressing to have a smoother consistency, try using a food processor or blender to completely emulsify it.

In a large bowl or serving platter, add a mixture of arugula and radicchio, followed by avocado. (Image 6)

Arugula, radicchio, and avocado layered onto a ruffled plate surrounded by other ingredients to make a salad.

Now, simply layer on almond slices, blackberries, and goat cheese. Drizzle with dressing, top with more salt and pepper, and dig in! Enjoy!

45-degree shot of a blackberry salad on a platter with goat cheese, almonds, avocado, arugula, and radicchio.

✨Tips & tricks

Soak the radicchio for 30 minutes if using. Radicchio is delicious when treated properly, but it is very bitter. It surprisingly complements this salad really well with all the sweet and creamy elements, but it does need to be soaked for a while, as this helps get rid of that bitter taste.
Choose good blackberries. Blackberries are the star of this salad. Opt for berries that are deep black or dark purple, plump, and free from any signs of mold. Avoid those that are dull or mushy.
Make the dressing first. This gives the flavors a few minutes to meld together.
Grill marks. If charring the lemon, let them sit on the grill without moving them for a minute or two. This will ensure beautiful grill marks and keep the lemons intact and from sticking to the pan.
Prep the ingredients before assembling. Salads are really straightforward, so make sure you have everything prepped in advance so you can put it together quickly.
Don't dress the salad with the dressing until just before serving. Avoid a soggy salad! Don't add the dressing in advance. Instead, add it just before serving.
On that note, once the salad is assembled, serve immediately!

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💭Frequently Asked Questions

How to store the leftovers?

This salad is best served immediately and we don't recommend making it in advance. If you need to store leftovers, you need to separate the ingredients into their own airtight containers for up to 3 days. Do not dress the salad in advance. We also recommend cutting up avocado fresh and right before serving. Do not freeze.

What if I've already dressed the salad and there are leftovers?

If the salad has been dressed and you have leftovers, you can place it in an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 1-2 days, but it will definitely become soggy, so do this only as a last resort if you want to save it.

More Recipes To Consider

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