This Blackberry Spinach Salad features a vibrant mix of baby spinach, crisp romaine, juicy blackberries, creamy goat cheese, avocado, and cucumber, all tossed in a mouthwatering Blackberry Balsamic Dressing!
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❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
- This spinach salad with blackberries has a beautiful blend of sweet, tangy, and creamy notes in every bite.
- Rich in Vitamin C, blackberries are considered by many to be a "superfood." Blackberries are not only delicious, they're loaded with nutrients and antioxidants.
- The dark color of blackberries contrasts beautifully with other salad ingredients. See, for example, how the dark berries and light melon contrast in this Blackberry Honeydew Salad with Basil. We eat with our eyes first!
- This blackberry balsamic salad dressing recipe is one you'll find on several recipes on this site. You can easily make it a vegan or make a keto blackberry dressing.
- If you like to make your own dressings, you'll find this one is very versatile. It's also delicious on grilled chicken, as in Blackberry Balsamic Grilled Chicken Salad. For a real taste treat, use it as an ice cream topping!
🛒 Ingredients and substitutions
You'll find a complete list of ingredients with quantities in the recipe card below. But before we get to the full recipe, here are a few notes about the ingredients.
Salad ingredients
- a mixture of fresh baby spinach leaves and chopped romaine lettuce
- fresh blackberries
- soft goat cheese, crumbled (or feta cheese)
- avocado: avocado has a soft creamy texture which contrasts nicely with the crisp cucumbers.
- cucumber: adds a little crunch!
- toasted flaked almonds
Blackberry dressing ingredients
- blackberries, frozen or fresh berries
- balsamic vinegar
- tamari, gluten-free (optional: this dressing is delicious with or without the tamari)
- honey, maple syrup, or sugar
- Dijon mustard
- sea salt and black pepper
🔪 Instructions
Here are step-by-step instructions to make this blackberry salad recipe perfectly. You'll find complete instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post.
Make the blackberry balsamic dressing: In a blender or food processor, combine 1 cup of fresh or frozen blackberries, balsamic vinegar, tamari, honey, Dijon mustard, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth and well combined. If the dressing is too thick, you can add a little more olive oil or water to achieve the desired consistency.
Toast the nuts: Spread flaked almonds in a small skillet and heat over medium heat until they are just beginning to brown and become fragrant. Remove them from the heat promptly and let them cool.
Prepare the salad: Wash and dry the salad greens, rinse the blackberries, and pat them dry. Slice the cucumber thinly, peel and remove the seed from the avocado, and cut it into small cubes.
Assemble the salad: Add the greens to a large bowl, then add the cucumber slices, avocado cubes, and crumbled soft goat cheese.
Toss the salad: Toss the salad with the dressing, adding a little at a time until the greens are lightly coated.
Serve: Divide among four salad bowls and top with toasted flaked almonds.
🔁 Possible Variations
Greens: Feel free to use your favorite mixed greens or fresh greens from your garden or farmers market. This salad is delicious with a mix of spinach and arugula leaves, too.
Cheese: If you're not a fan of goat cheese, substitute crumbled feta cheese or blue cheese instead.
Nuts: I like the thin crispy texture of flaked almonds, but you can use walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, or even pumpkin seeds.
👍🏼 Helpful Tips
Add the avocado just before serving to prevent it from turning brown if you're not planning to serve this blackberry salad right away.
If you use a high-speed blender to blend the blackberry dressing, the blackberry seeds are barely noticeable. If the seeds bother you, you can choose to purée the berries first, then strain the purée through a fine sieve before adding the remaining vinaigrette ingredients.
🍽 What to serve with blackberry spinach salad
Serve with gluten-free herbed baking powder biscuits, gluten-free cheesy herb cornbread, blueberry buttermilk cornbread muffins or your favorite gluten-free bread or baguette.
⏰ Storage Instructions
To store: Store the leftover salad in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. It's best to store the dressing separately.
🗒 More healthy salad recipes
- Thai-Style Coleslaw with Sesame Ginger Dressing
- Roasted Sweet Potato Kale Salad with Nutritional Yeast Dressing
- Winter Persimmon Kale Salad
- Hearty Tuscan Salad with Creamy Gorgonzola Dressing
🌟Did you make this recipe?
When you make this blackberry spinach salad recipe, please leave a comment and a star rating below. I love hearing from you! Thanks in advance. Subscribe to my newsletter and have new recipes delivered straight to your inbox.
📖 Recipe
Blackberry Spinach Salad with Blackberry Balsamic Dressing
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 6 cups fresh baby spinach leaves, tough stems removed
- 4 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
- 2 cups fresh blackberries
- 4 oz. soft goat cheese, crumbled
- 1 medium avocado, sliced or cubed
- 1 medium cucumber, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup flaked almonds, toasted
Blackberry Balsamic Dressing
- 1 cup blackberries, fresh or frozen
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, good quality
- 2 teaspoons tamari, gluten-free
- 1 tablespoon honey, or maple syrup or or sugar
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
Instructions
- In a blender or food processor, combine 1 cup of fresh or frozen blackberries, balsamic vinegar, tamari, honey, Dijon mustard, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth and well combined. If the dressing is too thick, you can add a little more olive oil or water to achieve the desired consistency.
- Toast the flaked almonds in a small skillet over medium heat until fragrant and lightly browned. Remove from the heat promptly and let cool.
- Wash and dry the spinach and romaine lettuce thoroughly.
- In a large salad bowl, combine the baby spinach and chopped romaine. Add 2 cups fresh blackberries, crumbled goat cheese, avocado cubes, and thinly sliced cucumber into the bowl with the greens.
- Drizzle the blackberry balsamic dressing over the salad, starting with a few tablespoons and adding more as needed. Gently toss the salad to ensure all ingredients are evenly coated with the dressing.
- Divide the salad among four plates or bowls. If desired, you can garnish the salad with additional blackberries, crumbled goat cheese, and a sprinkle of toasted flaked almonds for added texture.
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