Summer Berry Salad with Honey-Lemon Dressing Recipe

This summer berry salad with honey-lemon vinaigrette dressing recipe is a delicious, sweet, and savory appetizer or side dish. Great to serve at a summer BBQ, this is one crowd-pleaser salad everyone will love.

A bright & fresh salad loaded with fresh sliced strawberries, blueberries, cashews, quinoa, topped on fresh baby spinach. I love serving this salad to guests, it’s great for a cookout!

Summer officially starts next week, and I couldn’t wait to take advantage of sweet summer berries in this delicious salad! This summer berry salad is loaded with blueberries, strawberries, and cranberries served with savory spinach and tomatoes, in a bright and garlicky dressing.

It’s the perfect sweet & savory salad combination!

I was inspired to make this recipe after having lunch at a fantastic restaurant called The Wood on our recent trip to Canmore, Alberta! They had a wonderful quinoa berry power bowl on the menu, and it was so delicious, I had to recreate it at home. This salad is the perfect side dish for your next summer gathering. It’s elegant, fun, and tastes amazing.

This Summer Berry Salad with Honey-Lemon Dressing Recipe Is

• Bright
• Sweet
• Fresh
• Savory
• Satisfying
• Great for Entertaining
• Vegetarian & Can Easily be Made Vegan

Fresh Summer Salad Recipes You’ll Make Again & Again

We absolutely love big bold salads, with fresh flavors and bold dressings. This strawberry salad is the perfect combination of savory with pops of sweetness from the fresh berries and dried cranberries.

There are NO boring salads here, we bring our best ingredients to each & every salad pairing. Some are light and delicate, some are hearty and satisfying. Browse through all our trending salad recipes to find your next favorite.

What’s In This Strawberry and Spinach Salad Recipe?

I cook with fresh produce from my garden and from Misfits Market– they sell fantastic fruit, vegetables, & pantry staples at a discounted price. We get Misfit boxes every other week and love picking out seasonal produce for delivery. Get $10 off your first box by clicking here!

• Baby Spinach – which has a mild delicate flavor
• Strawberries
• Blueberries
• Tomatoes – I used cherry tomatoes, but you can use any variety you like.
• Cashews – I used lightly salted roasted cashews for this recipe, which give the salad a great crunch!
• Dried Cranberries
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil: I like to use a fruity olive oil which has a fantastic flavor and deep color- it’s inexpensive so I keep a few liters stocked up in my pantry.  Olive oil gives this dish a great taste, and also can contain heart-healthy properties!
• White Quinoa: I used this fantastic white quinoa, but you can use red or multicolored. You can cook quinoa on the stove top, in the Instant Pot (my preferred method), in the rice cooker.   This quinoa is a fantastic addition to salads, soups, or wraps… a healthy plant-based protein you can feel good about eating.
• Lemon Juice
• Garlic
• Dijon Mustard – for a really nice flavor and texture, this Dijon is a favorite in our pantry. Use a good quality mustard, not yellow prepared mustard.
• Honey: We use our own honey, straight out of the beehives!  As beekeepers, we have plenty of raw honey so I try to use it in all my recipes instead of sugar.  I’d recommend trying a local farmers market to find the best raw honey in your area. Or else, this raw organic honey online here is the next best thing.
• Salt & Pepper

How Do I Make This Berry Spinach Salad Recipe?

1. To a large serving bowl, add the spinach, picking out any large stems.
2. Top the spinach with strawberries, blueberries, cranberries, cooked quinoa, cashews, and tomatoes. 
3. Add all the dressing ingredients to a bowl, or a mason jar with a lid. Mix well to combine the dressing.
4. Just before serving, pour the dressing over the salad, and toss well.

A Side Salad for Summer Entertaining Everyone Will Love

This summer strawberry spinach salad is one of my favorite Easy Entertaining Recipes – it’s a crowd-pleaser dish that is always a major hit with company. These delicious recipes are perfect to treat your guests (or treat yourself!) when you have a special occasion for dinner. 

Browse through our collection of Entertaining Recipes, that we love making for friends and family. If you’re heading to a party, potluck, or BBQ, check out my list of top host gifts for dinner parties for that next-level gift they will love!

Dietary Modifications for Vegan & Gluten Free Versions

This recipe is naturally vegetarian & dairy free. To make vegan, omit the honey and use agave nectar or maple syrup instead.

Make This Strawberry Spinach Salad Gluten Free

This summer berry salad recipe is naturally gluten free, however certify that all ingredients you are using (like the quinoa and any salad ingredients) are certified GF before adding.

Gluten free cooking does NOT have to be bland, boring, or flavorless… It’s quite the opposite when done right. By building meals around gluten free pantry staples and swapping in a few wheat-less ingredients you can make healthier meals for you and your family. 

By using naturally certified gluten free ingredients, you can build delicious recipes like this strawberry spinach salad. Browse all our gluten free recipes. These easy and healthy recipes are fantastic meals for everyone at your table.

More Easy Summer Salads You’ll Love!

Nectarine Salad with Feta Cheese Recipe (Vegetarian, Gluten Free)

Linguine Pasta Salad Recipe (Vegetarian)

Arugula Pear Salad Recipe with Honey Vinaigrette Dressing

Blood Orange Salad Recipe (Vegan, Dairy Free)

Creamy Cottage Cheese Pasta Salad Recipe (High Protein)

Get the Same Ingredients for this Summer Salad with Strawberry & Blueberry Fruit

As always, if you make this easy summer berry salad recipe be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe, and tag me @theherbeevore on Instagram so I can feature you.  I love seeing all your photos of my recipes!

Let’s keep in touch – make sure to subscribe to my monthly newsletter to get free recipe inspiration. 

And don’t forget to follow over on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube & TikTok – I’d love to connect with you there!  

Summer Berry Salad with Honey-Lemon Dressing

The Herbeevore

This summer berry salad with honey-lemon vinaigrette dressing recipe is a delicious, sweet, and savory appetizer or side dish. Great to serve at a summer BBQ, this is one crowd-pleaser salad everyone will love.

5 from 3 votes

Print Recipe Pin Share Tweet

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 4 servings

Calories 349 kcal

Equipment

• Mixing Bowl

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

For the Berry Salad

• 5 ounces baby spinach
• 1 cup cooked quinoa *see note below for cooking methods
• 1/2 cup strawberries sliced
• 1/2 cup blueberries
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes quartered
• 1/2 cup cashews
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries

For the Honey-Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/4 teaspoon salt & pepper

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

 

• To a large serving bowl, add the spinach, picking out any large stems.
• Top the spinach with strawberries, blueberries, cranberries, cooked quinoa, cashews, and tomatoes.
• Add all the dressing ingredients to a bowl, or a mason jar with a lid. Mix well to combine the dressing.
• Just before serving, pour the dressing over the salad, and toss well.

Notes

A Note On Cooking Quinoa

Many stores carry quick-cooking quinoa in pouches, which is a great way to add some plant-based protein to your dish. 

 

If cooking dried quinoa from scratch on the stove top, add 1 cup quinoa and 2 cups of water to a medium sized pot, bring to a boil, cover, and turn the temperature down to a simmer for 20 minutes until quinoa is tender.

You can also cook quinoa in the Instant Pot (my preferred method),and also  in the rice cooker. 

Save on Fresh Groceries & Pantry Staples

I love shopping for fresh produce through Misfits Market. They sell fresh produce, pantry staples, and fantastic groceries (even wine!) at a discounted price. Choose your favorite seasonal produce, enjoy delivery right to your door, & $10 off your first box by clicking here.

Getting groceries online has turned out to be a huge time and money saver for us. If you haven't tried a produce box yet, I highly recommend trying one out!

Nutrition

Calories: 349kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 10gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 15gSodium: 223mgPotassium: 649mgFiber: 7gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 3432IUVitamin C: 30mgCalcium: 76mgIron: 4mg

Keyword honey berry salad, quinoa berry salad, spinach salad with strawberries and blueberries, strawberry salad with spinach, strawberry spinach salad, summer berry salad, wendys strawberry salad

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