This mixed green salad with fruit combines plenty of hearty greens, juicy berries, creamy goat cheese, almonds, chicken prosciutto, and other goodies. Topped with a homemade poppy seed dressing, this easy summer salad is absolutely delicious!
Like summer in a bowl, this mixed green salad with fruit is seriously jam-packed with deliciousness, my friends! This ain’t no ordinary mixed green salad. Honestly, I could eat this on repeat all summer long. No lie.
Were you a fan of Seinfeld? If you were (or are), you may remember Elaine’s obsession with having the “big salad.” Funny how things stick with ya. I do love a nice-n-substantial salad, that’s for sure!
For me, growing up, a salad usually meant either a simple garden salad, chef salad (using odds and ends in the fridge) or a caesar salad with those little dried imitation bacon bits (seriously, what are they even made of?!) and boxed croutons.
These days? Salads are much more than that! They can be so exciting (well, as far as salads go). The possibilities are pretty much endless and you could have something different every day.
Fan of hearty salads? You may enjoy this southwest chicken salad.
Ingredients Needed
This berry salad uses some of the season’s best! It honestly doesn’t take much effort; the ingredients do all the work, if you ask me!
- There’s a mixed green base with some herbs
- Plenty of fresh berries (4 whole cups!)
- Creamy avocado & goat cheese (by the way, did ya know that avocado is a fruit?)
- Almonds
- Thinly sliced red onion
- Chicken breast and prosciutto
- Homemade poppy seed dressing
Doesn’t that sound yummy?
Can I Use Other Mixed Greens?
Absolutely!
I used baby arugula (little bit of a peppery flavour), baby spinach (kinda neutral in taste) and kale (super hearty and a little bitter), but you could use other greens if you like.
Other delicious options are:
- Boston lettuce
- Romaine lettuce
- Red or green leaf lettuce
- Frisée
- Endive
- Radicchio
Note: Frisée, endive and radicchio are a little bitter, so I would use these sparingly, kinda like what I did with the kale. You do you!
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Creamy Poppy Seed Dressing
This homemade poppy seed dressing is on the healthier side because the base of it is mostly Greek yogurt. There’s also a little mayo in there for extra body and to bind everything together.
You literally combine all the ingredients together and enjoy!
To mix poppy seed dressing, you can either:
- Place the ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine.
- Mix everything up using a mini food processor.
- Put ingredients in a small jar, cover and shake, shake, shake! Get dancing right in the middle of your kitchen (that’s what I do, anyway).
Tips and Variations
- Use what you enjoy! If you like a particular green and not another, use the one you like best!
- Speaking of using what you enjoy, there’s no real set in stone quantities here for toppings. If you love blueberries, for example, add extra.
- Try another type of nut instead of almonds, like walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans or pistachios.
- Blackberries or cherries would be a lovely addition here too.
- Mix up the variety of cheese you use! Try shaved Parmesan. Simply shave or peel with a veggie peeler.
- If you want crispy prosciutto, pan fry or bake until it reaches your desired consistency and crumble over the salad. Trying to keep sodium intake on the lower side? Simply omit the prosciutto.
- If you want the red onion to be less pungent, give them a little rinse under cold water.
- I used two chicken breasts (or about 1 pound). If you want to make things more substantial, you can totally use more chicken.
- Save time by opting for store-bought cooked chicken! Then, it’s just a matter of assembling the salad and no cooking involved.
- Mint was used for a little pop-o-freshness, but another herb, like basil, would be delish! Side note: Speaking of herbs, our mint (particularly chocolate mint) is growing like crazy again this year. We’ve even started to grow some herbs inside so we can enjoy all year long.
- Entertaining or bringing this mixed green berry salad to a get-together? Rather than toss everything together right away, mix together most of the ingredients, while leaving some for the top.
- This mixed green salad with fruit looks super pretty that way for presentation purposes (and you can see everything that’s in there). Of course, when ready to enjoy mix, baby, mix!
More Yummy Salad Recipes
If you make this green salad with fruit, be sure to leave a comment below!
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Mixed Green Salad with Fruit (and poppy seed dressing)
Ingredients
Mixed Greens Berry Salad
- 1 pound boneless and skinless chicken breasts (about 2 chicken breasts)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon Herbes de Provence (or dried thyme)
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 2.5 ounces prosciutto , torn into bite-sized pieces (about 6 slices or 70 grams)
- 5 cups baby spinach
- 4 cups baby arugula
- 1 cup chopped kale (bite-sized pieces, leaves only, no stems)
- ½ cup mint leaves
- 3 to 4 tablespoons chopped chives (optional)
- 2 cups sliced strawberries
- 1 cup raspberries
- 1 cup blueberries
- 2 avocados , halved, pitted, peeled and sliced
- ½ cup thinly sliced red onion
- ½ cup sliced almonds
- ½ cup crumbled goat cheese
Creamy Poppy Seed Dressing
- ¾ cup Greek yogurt
- 3 tablespoons mayo
- 3 to 4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
Instructions
Mixed Greens Berry Salad
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Season each chicken breast with a pinch of salt, black pepper and herbes de provence (or simply thyme). Drizzle with olive oil.
- Bake for about 25 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked through (time may vary depending on the thickness/size of your chicken breasts, so check on at the 23 minute mark). Let cool/rest for a few minutes before slicing.
- In a large serving bowl, mix together the arugula, spinach, kale, mint and chives (if using).
- Add strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, avocado, red onion, almonds, goat cheese and cooked chicken. Toss or stir to combine everything.
- Drizzle the poppy seed dressing over the salad and mix in or toss to combine. Serve and enjoy! Makes 4 large dinner salads or 6 smaller salads.
Creamy Poppy Seed Dressing
- Combine yogurt, mayo, cider vinegar, maple syrup, salt, black pepper and poppy seeds in a jar, cover and shake to mix everything together (or whisk together ingredients in a bowl). Serve with mixed greens berry salad.
Notes
Nutrition (ESTIMATE ONLY)
Nutrition estimate (if provided) is based on 1 Serving.
Nutrition information (if provided) is provided as a courtesy and should be considered an estimate only. Ingredients can vary and Girl Heart Food makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are guidelines only.
