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Home » Salads » Blackberry Salad

Published: July 21, 2015 Last Modified: July 20, 2019 By Sara 46 Comments

Blackberry Salad

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Blackberry Salad Recipe | Summer Salad #salad #blackberries #apricot #corn #dinner #healthy #dinneratthezoo

This blackberry salad is full of fresh berries, apricots, corn, feta cheese and almonds, all drizzled with a creamy apricot dressing. A great way to showcase summer produce!

In my opinion, this is the ultimate summer salad. You’ve got sweetness from the fruit, the crunch of the nuts, the creamy cheese and that dressing is just off the charts delicious!

Blackberry Salad Recipe | Summer Salad #salad #blackberries #apricot #corn #dinner #healthy #dinneratthezoo Blackberry Salad Recipe | Summer Salad #salad #blackberries #apricot #corn #dinner #healthy #dinneratthezoo

Blackberry salad with apricots, corn, feta cheese and almonds.

Raise your hand if you love the farmer’s market! While I love to shop at the farmer’s market, I don’t go as often as I’d like. Our town’s market is on a Saturday morning and we tend to not want to rush out of the house first thing on the weekend. So when I do go, I buy up everything in sight that looks good and try and come up with fun ways to showcase the produce. This blackberry salad is the product of my last trip to the farmer’s market. It’s full of great summer fruit and vegetables but let’s be real, the creamy apricot poppy seed dressing is really the star of the show here.

Most of the time I follow whatever meal plan I’ve come up with for the week but sometimes I like to cook on the fly. This time, I randomly picked up a bunch of produce without an exact plan in place.

A selection of produce including corn, beets, apricots, tomatoes and blackberries.

After some consideration (and internet research!) I decided to make a salad. But not just any old salad. A blackberry-corn-apricot-beet salad with fresh herbs, feta and almonds.

A bowl of lettuce topped with berries, corn, feta cheese and apricots.

How do you make blackberry salad?

So let’s talk about the salad base first. I used little gem lettuce, other great options would be spring mix, romaine or butter lettuce. I also added a handful of fresh herbs to the mix – I love putting herbs in my salad, it adds something a little unexpected. My favorite additions are mint, basil, parsley, cilantro and/or dill.

Salad with apricots and corn.

Once you’ve got your lettuce squared away it’s time for the add-ins. I went with sliced apricots, grilled corn, roasted yellow beets. blackberries, feta and sliced almonds. There is such a great interplay of flavors and textures here – the fruit adds sweetness which is counter balanced by the salty feta and the grilled corn adds a smoky note.

A salad bowl filled with lettuce, fresh produce, cheese and almonds.

I made an apricot poppy seed dressing to go with this salad. Fresh ripe apricots, olive oil, vinegar and honey are whizzed together in the food processor to make a thick and creamy dressing that doesn’t actually contain any cream or mayonnaise.

A hand spooning apricot dressing on top of a salad.

This blackberry apricot salad is perfect for a picnic or potluck and you could easily add some grilled chicken to make it a hearty main course.

Tongs tossing together blackberry salad.

We’re going to be eating this salad all summer long. What is your favorite thing to buy at the farmer’s market?

Still hungry? Follow Dinner at the Zoo on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest for more great recipe ideas!

More salads you’ll love

  • Black Bean and Corn Salad
  • Cherry Tomato Salad
  • Watermelon Feta Salad
  • Cucumber Tomato Salad
  • Chickpea Salad
This blackberry apricot salad uses summer's finest produce and the creamy apricot poppyseed dressing is to die for!
Print Pin
5 from 2 votes

Blackberry Salad

This blackberry salad is full of summer's finest fresh produce and is topped with a creamy apricot poppy seed dressing. 
Course Side
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 221kcal
Author Sara Welch

Ingredients

  • 4 cups mixed salad greens
  • 1/2 cup mixed soft herbs parsley, mint, dill, cilantro, basil
  • 1 cup blackberries
  • 2 apricots pitted and sliced
  • 2 ears of cooked corn kernels sliced off the cobs
  • 3 small or 2 large roasted yellow beets roasting directions here
  • 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds
  • For the dressing:
  • 1 large or 2 small ripe apricots pitted
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoons honey
  • kosher salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 teaspoons poppy seeds

Instructions

  • Combine the lettuces and herbs in a large bowl. Add the blackberries, apricots, corn, beets, feta and almonds to the bowl.
  • To make the salad dressing, put the apricots, olive oil, vinegar and honey in the bowl of a food processor. Puree the ingredients to a smooth dressing. Season to taste with kosher salt and pepper. Stir in poppy seeds.
  • Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat. Serve immediately.

Notes

Make Ahead: The corn and the beets can be cooked 2 days in advance. The salad dressing can be made a day in advance, just shake it before use.
Little Helpers: The kids can help assemble the salad by putting all of the ingredients in the bowl.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 221kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 170mg | Potassium: 498mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 1730IU | Vitamin C: 32.4mg | Calcium: 122mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @DinnerAtTheZoo or tag #dinneratthezoo!
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Filed Under: Eat Your Veggies, Everyday Meals, Salads, Vegetarian Dishes

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    Comments

    1. Trisha @ The Ham & Cheese Of It says

      July 22, 2015 at 11:05 pm

      Your food photography keeps getting better and better each time I pop on over here. I am so in love with all those vibrant colors!

      Reply
    2. Chrisy @ Homemade Hooplah says

      July 22, 2015 at 5:25 pm

      So many great flavors in this! Can’t wait to try it 🙂 Beautiful photos, too!

      Reply
      • Sara says

        July 22, 2015 at 9:20 pm

        Thanks Chrisy, it’s a good one 🙂

        Reply
    3. Aliza B says

      July 22, 2015 at 4:00 pm

      What a different salad that looks amazing! I like that the dressing isn’t a creamy one.

      Reply
      • Sara says

        July 22, 2015 at 9:19 pm

        The apricots make it creamy without any actual dairy!

        Reply
    4. Ashleigh says

      July 22, 2015 at 3:56 pm

      Another amazing salad!! I love corn in salad and this one looks great! Thank you for sharing!

      Reply
      • Sara says

        July 22, 2015 at 9:22 pm

        Thanks Ashleigh!

        Reply
    5. Becky @ Bite of Delight says

      July 22, 2015 at 3:34 pm

      Absolutely gorgeous! It looks more like art than dinner. Can’t wait to try it!

      Reply
      • Sara says

        July 22, 2015 at 9:22 pm

        Thanks, let me know if you end up making it!

        Reply
    6. Stephanie says

      July 22, 2015 at 12:22 pm

      This is almost too pretty to eat! Seriously gorgeous!

      Reply
      • Sara says

        July 22, 2015 at 9:28 pm

        Thanks Stephanie, I appreciate the compliment!

        Reply
    7. Justine | Cooking and Beer says

      July 22, 2015 at 11:46 am

      This is really so beautiful, Sara!

      Reply
      • Sara says

        July 22, 2015 at 9:29 pm

        Thanks Justine, I loved this color combination!

        Reply
    8. Florian @ContentednessCooking says

      July 22, 2015 at 11:00 am

      This salad looks beautiful, perfect for summer days! Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
      • Sara says

        July 22, 2015 at 9:34 pm

        Thanks Florian, I’m going to make it again soon!

        Reply
    9. sue|theviewfromgreatisland says

      July 22, 2015 at 10:12 am

      I just discovered your blog, and I can’t take my eyes off this salad ! Pinning and sharing <3

      Reply
      • Sara says

        July 22, 2015 at 9:19 pm

        Thanks Sue, I love your blog!

        Reply
    10. Kelley Orthwein says

      July 22, 2015 at 9:35 am

      This salad is perfect for the summer- loving the flavor combo with blackberries and apricots!

      Reply
      • Sara says

        July 22, 2015 at 9:34 pm

        Thanks Kelley, it’s pretty much the perfect summer salad if I do say so myself 😉

        Reply
    11. Kacey @ The Cookie Writer says

      July 22, 2015 at 8:42 am

      I love new salad ideas and this one really stands out! What a great idea to throw corn in there. I have to share this with my sister.

      Reply
      • Sara says

        July 22, 2015 at 9:20 pm

        I just figured what is more summery than corn :)?

        Reply
    12. Deanna Risch says

      July 22, 2015 at 7:10 am

      That salad looks awesome! I’ve never had feta with fruit in a salad before, but your pictures are pretty convincing! Thanks!

      Reply
      • Sara says

        July 22, 2015 at 9:35 pm

        Thanks Deanna, it’s a great salty-sweet flavor combo!

        Reply
    13. Olga @ MangoTomato says

      July 22, 2015 at 7:06 am

      What a gorgeous salad! Love the use of poppy seeds. Eat your rainbow 😉

      Reply
      • Sara says

        July 22, 2015 at 9:35 pm

        I’m just missing the red color 🙂

        Reply
    14. Rosemond Cates says

      July 22, 2015 at 6:43 am

      Wow! This looks amazing! Pinning this for sure!

      Rosemond Cates
      http://www.bighairandbooks.com

      Reply
      • Sara says

        July 22, 2015 at 9:35 pm

        Thanks for pinning!

        Reply
    15. Marye says

      July 22, 2015 at 6:36 am

      This salad looks amazing!

      Reply
    16. Manila Spoon says

      July 22, 2015 at 5:56 am

      You are such a great photographer Sara! Your delicious dishes truly come to life with your amazing skills! This looks totally scrumptious!

      Reply
      • Sara says

        July 22, 2015 at 9:36 pm

        Thanks for the compliments, I really appreciate it!

        Reply
    17. Kathy Hester says

      July 22, 2015 at 5:35 am

      That gorgeous photo makes me want to lick the screen! I can’t wait to make this!!

      Reply
      • Sara says

        July 22, 2015 at 9:37 pm

        You can lick the screen, I won’t tell anyone! 🙂

        Reply
    18. Ali @ Home & Plate says

      July 22, 2015 at 5:13 am

      Sara…what a pretty salad. It literally jumps off the page. These are the perfect flavors of summer and I love that it is a unique combo of ingredients. Delish!

      Reply
      • Sara says

        July 22, 2015 at 9:37 pm

        Thanks Ali, it’s definitely unique (but in a good way!)

        Reply
    19. Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says

      July 22, 2015 at 4:16 am

      I don’t know what I love more! The herbs, apricots, blackberries, or the fresh corn!

      Reply
      • Sara says

        July 22, 2015 at 9:38 pm

        Thanks Rebecca, it’s a great flavor combination for sure!

        Reply
    20. Levan @ MyWifeMakes.com says

      July 22, 2015 at 2:15 am

      Hey Sara! This blackberry apricot salad looks AH-MAYYYY-ZING!!! Thanks for the wonderful recipe and the foodgawkish photos. Another hit at the zoo!!!

      Reply
      • Sara says

        July 22, 2015 at 9:38 pm

        What’s up Levan? I’m sure you could easily veganize this one. Thanks for stopping by! 🙂

        Reply
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