Arugula & Blackberry salad

Name: Arugula & Blackberry salad
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: American, British, Italian, Mediterranean
Ingredients: 5 cups arugula; 1 cup blackberries; 1/2 cup blueberry; 1 medium avocado, sliced; 1/4 medium cucumber, sliced; 2 tbsp crumble Vegan Feta Cheese; 2 tbsp hazelnuts, chooped; 2 tbsp maple syrup; 1 tbsp dijon mustard; 3/4 cups olive oil; 1/4 cup vinegar; 1 clove garlic, minced; 5 leaves basil; 1/2 tsp salt

Delicious blackberry salad recipe with arugula salad and basil balsamic vinaigrette

by Cory Varga

Updated 17 November 2024

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Celebrate summer with a delicious blackberry salad recipe made with fresh blackberries, arugula salad, nuts, vegan feta cheese and topped with aromatic basil balsamic vinaigrette. This summer salad is so easy to make and it's ideal for a filling lunch to celebrate greens and fruits. It has plenty of protein thanks to the added avocado slices and you'll even get the perfect crunch as it's topped with hazelnuts. The prep time for is just 10 minutes and all you need is a large bowl or plate.

Blackberry arugula salad with nuts and avocado and feta

What's blackberry salad?

My blackberry salad is essentially an easy summer salad that contains fresh blackberries as well as other toppings to create the perfect plate. Blackberries are the star attractions and they work best served with arugula and cheese.

Part of the toppings, add nuts, vegan cheese, avocado, cucumbers and a delicious balsamic vinaigrette that elevates your dish. Not only it's effortless to make but it's delicious and nutritious. Blackberries are packed with vitamin C, they are high in fiber, vitamin K and manganese.

Arugula is full of antioxidants and benefits from vitamin K and calcium. You can already tell that a blackberry arugula salad is perfect for lunch, as an excellent pick me up.

What's even greater about this salad is that most of the ingredients can be adapter to whatever you have in the fridge and it will still be tasty. This blackberry salad is gluten free as I haven't added any bread or croutons to it. If you wish to add even more protein to it, add roasted chickpeas.

Arugula blackberry salad

Ingredients for blackberry salad

This is such an easy salad, you are going to love it. As previously mentioned, a lot of the ingredients can be swapped with some equally delicious and nutritious replacements and I will walk you through your options. Here's all the ingredients you need for the perfect summer salad.

Blackberries - Ideally purchased from the farmers market, you will want the sweetest, juiciest blackberries you can find. Fresh is best for this salad.

Blueberries - Crunchy, sweet and with a hint of tang, blueberries are a must in this salad. Again, go for fresh and not frozen if at all possible. They taste best in the summer. You can replace them with strawberries if you prefer.

Arugula salad - Arugula is another star attraction for this recipe. It tastes peppery, slightly bitter and it's so crisp, especially when fresh. It can be replace with baby spinach if you prefer.

Avocado - This is your protein, so slice it nicely and add it to your salad. If you want more protein, add roasted chickpeas to the recipes as well. If you don't like avocado, add just the chickpeas.

Cucumbers - Fresh crispy cucumbers, nicely sliced. For this recipe, I recommend English cucumbers as they are mild and sweet.

Nuts - You'll want to top your salad with some nuts. I recommend hazelnuts for this recipe but you can use roasted almonds if you prefer. Or even macadamia nuts.

Cheese - You can experiment with the cheese you like the most. I love vegan feta for this salad and I think it tastes best. I know goat cheese salad recipes are super popular, so you might be able to source a vegan goat cheese that will work so well with the blackberries. If you're lucky to have a vegan cheese monger near you, try this recipe with blue cheese.

Balsamic dressing - You will need some balsamic vinegar, olive oil, basil, dijon mustard, garlic and maple syrup. The tart dressing works like a charm with the arugula and the fruit, so it's literally what elevates your salad and turns it into a masterpiece. In all fairness, balsamic dressing usually works best on all summer salads.

Arugula with blackberries nuts avocado and feta

Are blackberries good in a salad?

Blackberries are incredible in a salad. Especially when mixed with leafy greens, nuts and your choice of cheese. Peppery arugula works best with blackberries. Goat cheese or vegan feta cheese are an excellent topping as well. It will be love at first bite.

How far in advance can you dress a salad?

Dressing should go on the salad when you are ready to serve it. This way the leaves stay crisp. If you are expecting guests, you can dress the salad up to a maximum of 3 hours before serving it.

How far in advance can you make a salad?

Salads are best eaten fresh, however you can make a salad up to 24 hours in advance and keep it in the fridge. It's recommended that you add the salad dressing when you serve the salad and not before.

This recipe has been developed entirely by Yuzu Bakes. Any resemblance with other recipes is purely coincidental.