I’ve got quite the stash of fruit in the fridge with the summer in full swing and sales upon sales at the stores. Being in the north, we don’t always get the best selection of product, let alone, good prices. When there are sales on berries (usually 2 for $5, or $2.99 per carton) I always buy them. The biggest problem then is if we don’t wash them up and start eating them right away. That’s why I started making this balsamic berry arugula salad.

I’ve seen several restaurants that have fruit salads and I’ve always thought it would be so strange to eat fruit with a salad. Because of that mindset, I never tried one. Until last week anyway. That’s when I decided to throw together a berry salad with arugula, feta, and some sliced almonds. Seriously. Hit. The. Spot.

What You’ll Love About This Salad

The balsamic berry arugula salad is the definition of summer. It’s light, and topped with two of everyone’s favorite berries. Don’t let your fruit go to waste when you can cut it up and throw it in this salad!

Not only is it a great way to use up fruit, but makes a great side to your favorite summer meals. If you’re grilling, throw this together to serve with whatever main it is you’re making. In our house we don’t do much of any meat, however, it would go great with a steak or a nice marinaded chicken breast.

How To Make This Salad

This salad is super simple. All you need are some sliced strawberries, blueberries, balsamic glaze or balsamic reduction, feta, and sliced almonds. If you want to make the balsamic glaze at home, it’s quite simple. I’ll go through a quick instruction here, but there’ll be a separate post soon with more details. In the meantime if you have questions, put them in the comments below!

To make the balsamic glaze all that’s needed is a cup of balsamic vinegar and (2-3 tsp depending on how sweet you want) sweetener of choice (honey, brown sugar, or maple syrup are the best options). Bring the mixture to a boil in a small saucepan on the stovetop. Once it is boiling, reduce to a simmer and leave for about 15 minutes. It should coat the back of a spoon when it’s done. 

It really doesn’t take much of the balsamic glaze to coat your salad and it packs a lot of flavor, so start with less. It’s a lot easier to add more if you need it versus overdo it. 

Balsamic Berry Arugula Salad

This balsamic berry and arugula salad is a delicious fresh salad that can be served as an appetizer or a meal. Enjoy with your favorite fresh berries. Vegan friendly option to remove the feta or use a vegan feta.

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 2 salads

Calories 287 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 5 oz arugula
• 4 strawberries, sliced
• ¼ cup blueberries
• ¼ cup feta
• 2 tbsp sliced almonds
• balsamic glaze, adjust to taste

Balsamic Glaze

• 1 cup balsamic vinegar
• 3 tsp liquid sweetener (maple syrup, honey, agave, etc).

Instructions

 

Make the balsamic glaze

• Bring balsamic vinegar and sweetener to boil in a small pot.
• Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and stir.
• Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. The glaze is complete when you pull a spoon out and the back remains coated without it all running off.

Assemble the Salad

• In a bowl, toss together arugula, blueberries, and sliced strawberries.
• Top with feta and almonds.
• Drizzle the balsamic glaze over the top. I start with about 2 tsp and increase as needed to taste.
• Split into serving bowls. This makes 2 meal sized salads or four generous side salads.

Nutrition

Serving: 1saladCalories: 287kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 8gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 259mgPotassium: 512mgFiber: 3gSugar: 33gVitamin A: 1761IUVitamin C: 27mgCalcium: 267mgIron: 3mg

Keyword balsamic berry salad, balsamic salad, berry salad

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Looking for another delicious salad to try? Check out this vegan Thai peanut salad. If you try this, let me know what you think in the comments below.

-Cassie 🙂