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A light and summery salad full of strawberries, raspberries, almonds, pumpkin seeds, figs, goat cheese and a homemade vanilla vinaigrette.
Whether it’s the fresh strawberries, raspberries, vanilla, or figs, or a combination of them all together, this salad tastes like summer on a plate! It is also refreshing, delicious and nourishing. YUM.
You can eat this salad as is or with some greek yogurt chicken salad, grilled chicken, or baked tomato salmon for added protein. I was inspired to make this salad with figs and berries after trying a similar one at the Nordstrom Cafe a while ago.
Table of Contents
Why this recipe is great
- It comes together easily and quickly, in less than 10 minutes!
- It is easy to customize.
- The vanilla vinaigrette is delicious and compliments the strawberries and raspberries so well.
- It can be a side salad or main meal.
Recipe ingredients
- Mixed greens– any type of mixed greens works for this recipe.
- Raspberries and strawberries– make sure they are fresh and ripe.
- Sliced almonds– these add a nice nutty taste and crunch.
- Pumpkin seeds– these also add nice crunch.
- Dried Figs– dried figs add more sweetness than fresh figs but feel free to use either one.
- Goat cheese– you can buy it crumbled up or crumble it up yourself.
- Olive oil– use a good quality olive oil to make the dressing.
- Apple cider vinegar– this is a great vinegar to use but you can use any vinegar of your choice.
- Vanilla extract– this is what flavors the dressing and the overall salad.
- Honey– this adds a hint of sweetness to the dressing.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Additions/ Substitutions
- You can use only strawberries or only raspberries in this salad if you prefer. This strawberry feta salad looks like a fun strawberry only salad.
- Instead of sliced almonds, you can use another nut like pistachios or walnuts.
- Instead of pumpkin seeds, you can use pine nuts.
- Instead of goat cheese, you can use feta cheese.
- Instead of honey, you can use maple syrup.
Step by step instructions
Step 1: Add the mixed greens, berries, almonds, and pumpkin seeds to a large bowl.
Step 2: Make the vanilla vinaigrette. Mix the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey, vanilla, salt and pepper together.
Step 3: Add the dressing to the salad and mix.
Step 4: Serve the salad on plates. Add the figs and goat cheese on top of each individual plate.
Expert tips
- To make this recipe Paleo, omit the goat cheese.
- To make this recipe Dairy-free, omit the goat cheese.
- To make this recipe Vegan, use maple syrup instead of honey and omit the goat cheese.
- To store: store in an airtight container for 2 days.
- To make in advance, put all the ingredients together but do not add the dressing. Store in a the fridge until ready to serve and then add the dressing.
Other salads you’ll love:
Did you try this recipe? Please leave me a ⭐ review below!
Berry and Fig Salad with Goat Cheese and Vanilla Vinaigrette
Ingredients
Salad ingredients:
- 5 ounces mixed greens
- 1/2 cup strawberries, quartered
- 1/2 cup raspberries
- ¼ cup sliced almonds
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
- 5 dried figs, sliced
- 2.5 ounces crumbled goat cheese, (omit to make the recipe dairy-free and Paleo)
Vanilla vinaigrette ingredients:
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 teaspoon honey, or maple syrup
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the mixed greens, strawberries, raspberries, almonds, and pumpkin seeds to a large bowl and mix.
- Then make the vanilla vinaigrette. Mix the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, vanilla, honey, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Mix until the mixture thickens.
- Pour the vinaigrette onto the mixed greens and mix.
- Serve the salad onto multiple plates.
- Top each salad plate with sliced figs and goat cheese. You can sprinkle a bit more almonds and pumpkin seeds, if you'd like.
Notes
- Serves 4 as a side salad or 2 as a main dish.
- To make this recipe Paleo, omit the goat cheese.
- To make this recipe Vegan, use maple syrup instead of honey and omit the goat cheese.
- To make this recipe Dairy-free, omit the goat cheese.
- To store: store in an airtight container for 2 days.
- To make in advance, put all the ingredients together but do not add the dressing. Store in a the fridge until ready to serve and then add the dressing.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Oh my goodness! I have never tried figs in a salad before but it sounds so yummy.
I love it!
I love salads, but they can get pretty boring, to say the least. I love that this one adds different fun flavors than I’m used to. It’s definitely a salad I’ve never tried before and I can’t wait to have one.
This one is def not boring 🙂