Dinner at the Zoo

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Blackberry Salad

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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?

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More salads you’ll love

This blackberry apricot salad uses summer's finest produce and the creamy apricot poppyseed dressing is to die for!
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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
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    Comments

    1. Trisha @ The Ham & Cheese Of It says

      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

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

      Reply

    9. sue|theviewfromgreatisland says

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

      Reply

    10. Kelley Orthwein says

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

      Reply

    11. Kacey @ The Cookie Writer says

      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

    12. Deanna Risch says

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

      Reply

    16. Manila Spoon says

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

      Reply

    18. Ali @ Home & Plate says

      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

    19. Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says

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

      Reply

    20. Levan @ MyWifeMakes.com says

      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

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