This Spinach Berry Salad with Creamy Balsamic Dressing is a festive and delicious dinner side dish recipe, perfect to celebrate the fresh flavors of summer!

The past few weeks I’ve rambled on and on about how excited I am for summer. That I can’t wait for movies and concerts in the park. That I cannot wait for all the summer fun like floating the river, camping, summer road trips to far away places, lazy pool days and backyard barbecues. And of course, all the summer foods, like burgers, ice cream and summer produce eaten straight from the bushel at the farmer’s market or in the form of this Spinach Berry Salad with Creamy Balsamic Dressing!

Yes, y’all, I LOVE summer!

But I feel like I’ve said that about every season the past few years. I rambled on and on about spring as we flocked to random Texas fields to frolic through the bluebonnets. And then last fall I rambled on about my love for the cooler fall temperatures, for my love of not just football but specifically Texas football and all my favorite fall holidays and foods.


Through all this rambling, I guess I’ve realized that I simply love life and all the changing seasons and those fresh beginnings, new flavors and various adventures that each season brings.

So yup, I’m totally digging summer, yet as I sit on my patio and type this out it is cool, like record breaking (for Texas) cool and in the mid/upper 50’s. And it almost feels like fall is in the air.

And even though I am excited for summer and totally ecstatic about the current weather, it will soon be hot and steamy, which you would think I would be used to the 100-degree summer days by now. But no, when it gets THAT hot outside I’m not loving summer all that much.

So, right now, I’m trying to live in the moment and soak up this picture perfect summery weather for as long as I can before it’s too blasting hot.

Anyways, since every season I obsess over the current season’s produce, I often get sucked into certain flavors and recipes and I can’t stop making them. This usually happens with salads. If you recall, last summer our official “house salad” (since we made it for almost every meal) was this Corn, Avocado and Tomato Salad. And last fall it was this Pear and Pomegranate Salad on repeat and of course let’s not forget this Fresh Broccoli Salad that we’ve been obsessed with for years!

So far, this summer it’s been this Spinach Berry Salad recipe that we can’t get enough of. This salad is simply a twist on my favorite strawberry spinach salad but I love the pop of flavor and texture that the blueberries give it and I’m loving balsamic vinaigrettes more so these days (over a creamy poppy seed dressing) and have been obsessed with this homemade Creamy Balsamic Dressing.

While all the flavors of this salad go so good together (seriously it TASTES like summer!), it also happens to be naturally colorful and festive, making it a Red, White and Blue Salad, and the perfect side dish for Memorial Day and 4th of July cookouts too!

What are you excited about this summer? Please share in the comments below!

Helpful Tips and Information:
Serving Suggestion: While this Spinach Berry Salad is great as a simple side dish, I’ve also added grilled chicken and pan seared salmon for a fresh and satisfying entrée salad.

Cooking Tip: Got an overabundance of strawberries? Freeze them! To freeze strawberries, wash and thoroughly dry the strawberries. Remove stem and place the strawberries on a baking sheet, making sure they are not touching one another. Freeze until solid, about 3-4 hours. Transfer frozen strawberries to a freezer safe plastic bag or airtight container. Strawberries can be stored in the freezer for 6-9 months. Click here more helpful tips and information about strawberries.

Like this Spinach Berry Salad recipe? Then you’ll love these other recipes:
Mixed Berry Shortcake 
Strawberry Spinach Wrap 
Cheesecake Fruit Salad 
Blueberry, Strawberry & Jicama Salsa 

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Spinach Berry Salad with Creamy Balsamic Dressing

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

This Spinach Berry Salad with Creamy Balsamic Dressing is a festive and delicious dinner side dish recipe, perfect to celebrate the fresh flavors of summer!

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Ingredients

• Spinach Berry Salad:
• 1 (8-ounce) bag baby spinach or arugula/spinach mix
• 2/3 cup fresh blueberries
• 2/3 cup sliced fresh strawberries
• ¼ cup crumbled blue cheese or feta
• 3 tablespoons sliced almonds,, toasted if desired
• --
• Creamy Balsamic Dressing:
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 ½ tablespoons Maple syrup or honey
• ¼ cup plain Greek Yogurt
• 1/4 teaspoon each kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. To make salad, in a large bowl toss together spinach, blueberries, strawberries, blue cheese and almonds. Set aside.
2. To make creamy balsamic dressing, in a small bowl whisk together balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, Greek yogurt, salt and black pepper.
3. When ready to serve, drizzle 3-4 tablespoons dressing over salad and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

Notes

Dressing can be stored in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Raspberries and/or blackberries can be added to this salad or substituted for the strawberries and blueberries in this salad.