Berry and Pecan Summer Salad

If any benefit that has come from the previous heat wave, it is that it was too hot for me to crave anything but a huge, juicy salad. The thought of greasy french fries and the sluggish afternoon they would lead to in this 100 degree weather makes my stomach twist.

From years of salad experimenting, I’ve discovered the key to a really satisfying salad is as follows:

Greens (spinach, iceberg, kale, etc) + a sweet (usually fruit- fresh or dried) + a savory (nuts or baked tofu) + veggies (everything is better with veggies) + light salad dressing (to bring the flavors out but not over bear it).

I have been playing around with many variations on these combination a whole bunch recently and this Berry Pecan salad is probably my favorite one so far. The light honey vinaigrette brings out all the veggie fresh flavors and the peach/blueberry duo adds beautiful color and just enough sweet to tame the salty feta.

I am not going to put exact measurements for the contents of the salad because that is all up to you and what you enjoy. Feel free to experiment and swap out whatever you have on hand!

PS-  Substitute the honey for agave nectar and omit the feta to make it vegan!

Berry and Pecan Summer Salad

  • Mixed Greens assortment (mine was just from a farmer stand)
  • Blueberries
  • Sliced Peaches
  • Chopped Pecans (bet it would be even better if you roasted them before hand!)
  • Feta
  • Bell Pepper
  • Red Onion (I soaked the slices in water for about 15 to tame the flavor – it works great!)

For the Honey Vinaigrette:

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 3 Tablespoons honey
  • 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • Salt/Pepper

Whisk all together in a small bowl and pour over salad.

Veggie hotdog dressed All American Style + Summer Salad = Mmmmmmm.

Comment

8 Comments

  • Sarah
    July 12, 2012

    Looks delicious!!! I love these kinds of salads in the summer!!

  • LotusArtichoke
    July 12, 2012

    I love salads with fruit and nuts! I just posted an arugula pear walnut salad this week. Glad to see other people not afraid to talk about salads! We have lots of blueberries here, I’m going to make a variation on this tonight. 🙂

  • pumpernickelsdeli
    July 12, 2012

    That looks absolutely scrumptious!

  • Allison
    July 12, 2012

    That salad looks beautiful! (And we have similar salad-making philosophies…)

  • Gabby @ the veggie nook
    July 12, 2012

    Great summer flavours in there 🙂

  • Julie Hansen Intuitive
    July 12, 2012

    The perfect summer salad! And I will definitely try your dressing recipe. Thanks!-Julie

  • masters2marathons
    July 12, 2012

    Yummy! I like to make a strawberry, cucumber, sliced almond salad with spinach and a lemon honey/white wine vinegar dressing on hot days myself!!!

  • gottagetbaked
    July 13, 2012

    That is definitely summer in a bowl! I love fruit in salads, especially all the yummy ones we get this time of year.

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