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 simple salad recipes to find your next favorite.

What’s In This Strawberry and Spinach Salad Recipe?

See the recipe card below for full ingredient amounts and recipe instructions!

• 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
• White Quinoa: I used 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.
• 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: 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.
• 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.

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.

Easy Summer Salads You May Enjoy

• Nectarine Salad with Feta Cheese Recipe
• Linguine Pasta Salad Recipe
• Arugula Pear Salad Recipe with Honey Vinaigrette Dressing
• Blood Orange Salad Recipe
• Creamy Cottage Cheese Pasta Salad Recipe

Share this Summer Salad with Strawberry & Blueberry Fruit

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Summer Berry Salad with Honey-Lemon Dressing

Kelly Jensen

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

  

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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. 

 

Nutrition

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

Did You Make This Recipe?Please leave a rating and comment below, let us know what you loved about it!

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