Healthy & Flavor Packed Salad with Blackberry Ginger Balsamic Vinegar
This is my new favorite salad! After making this with dinner a few nights ago, I’ve made it again 3 times, it’s that good.
I love how simple it is to throw together a salad, perfect for hot summer nights when you don’t want to heat up the house.
I served the salad with some smoked salmon (which could also be crumbled into the salad).
I often add a little fruit to salads. Not much, just so every once in a while you get that sweet taste in there, which in this case really complements the sharp cheddar cheese.
Raisins are my go-to salad addition fruit, but this time I picked up some dried figs.
I love figs, but rarely find them for sale fresh. One of these days I’ll find a fig tree to bring home to my garden.;)
I used a white cheddar, aged 3 years (I used Balderson). Wow – worth every penny. If you’ve never tried a higher quality (with a price to match unfortunately) aged cheddar, put it on your must try list. It is a world away from the cheap stuff! It has a wonderful deep, sharp flavor.
Save the cheaper stuff for sandwiches. For a salad or a cheese plate, you can’t beat picking up some aged artisan cheese.
Rather than dressing, we picked up this amazing Blackberry – Ginger Balsamic Vinegar from a local specialty shop called 4 Oak. They only sell oils and vinegars. It is on the pricey side for the size of the bottle, but you need very little of it to make a big impact.
Balsamic has such a unique flavor, and this blackberry ginger variety will spoil you for all other vinegars. For those of us watching our waistline – you won’t miss using a dressing on your salad ever again!
With just a drizzle of balsamic, your salad remains a healthy meal, unspoiled by store bought dressing, and the flavor will knock you out!
To create this salad I used:
2 1/2 cups mixed baby greens
I used a store bought combination of greens including:
Endive, Radicchio, Green & Red Romaine, Green & Red Oak, Tango, Lolla Rossa, Green & Red Leaf, Mizuna, Arugula, Tatsoi, Mache, Green & Red Chard, and baby Spinach.
10 sugar snap peas, cut in 4
4 radishes, cut in half and then sliced thin
10 plum tomatoes, cut in half
~2″ cucumber, cut in half and sliced thin
4 dried figs
~1″ white cheddar cheese (aged 3 years)
Drizzle with ~2 tbsps. Blackberry Ginger Balsamic Vinegar
Served with smoked salmon, this salad makes a light healthy and incredibly flavorful meal you’ll want to make again and again.
posted by Sean on June 19, 2015
YUM! This salad and dressing recipe is calling my name.
posted by YogurtHydro on June 20, 2015
Let me know if you try it.:)
posted by Ashley Perez on June 19, 2015
Looks so good.
posted by YogurtHydro on June 20, 2015
Thank you Ashley.:)
posted by Margaret Franks Duncan on June 19, 2015
Thank you, I have a Fig tree,always looking for new ways to use my Figs.
posted by YogurtHydro on June 20, 2015
Have you ever made jam with them? I’m jealous, I’d love to have my own fig tree.;)
posted by Mai Tran on June 20, 2015
This is a new salad recipe to me. I need to try it out. Thanks for sharing.
posted by YogurtHydro on June 20, 2015
This was so good that I will have to agree; you need to try it.:)
posted by Alina Conn on June 21, 2015
Made this and everyone was very impressed. Thanks!
posted by YogurtHydro on June 21, 2015
Awesome, I’m so glad you liked it! I’ve had a request to make this salad with smoked salmon again tonight; which sounds perfect to me because it is scorching hot today lol. No heating up the kitchen.:)
posted by Starla B on June 23, 2015
That looks absolutely delicious! Salads like this are the best- packed with flavor and nutrients! Can’t go wrong with a yummy salad!
posted by YogurtHydro on June 23, 2015
I agree – especially in summer – a no heat meal with some fresh picked ingredients is always delicious.
posted by Melissa S on June 24, 2015
This sounds absolutely delicious to me. I don’t think my husband or son will eat it, but my mom is coming to visit and I save recipes that I know the 2 of us will enjoy for when she is here.
posted by YogurtHydro on June 27, 2015
I have such a hard time getting Kevin to try anything “different” too. I hope you and your mom enjoy it, it is a really delicious salad.
posted by Linda Manns Linneman on July 1, 2015
This sounds like a great summer salad to me. It looks wonderful. Thank you so much for sharing
posted by YogurtHydro on July 22, 2015
Thanks Linda:)
posted by Jasmine P on July 9, 2015
This sounds really tasty and healthY!
posted by YogurtHydro on July 22, 2015
Thanks Jasmine.:)
posted by Jerry Marquardt on July 9, 2015
This recipe looked best compared to the Olive Garden. I am going to make it this coming weekend.
posted by YogurtHydro on July 22, 2015
Thanks so much Jerry, I hope you enjoyed it!
posted by Melanie B on November 27, 2015
Looks really delish! Thanks for sharing
posted by Linda Manns Linneman on March 19, 2016
This is such a great salad. I love it. Thank you so much for sharing
posted by clojo9372 on March 19, 2016
This salad looks good, but to be honest, I can’t handle radishes. I think they’re gross. LOL! But besides that I would really enjoy this. Blackberry Ginger Balsamic Vinegar looks AMAZING. Would love to try that on any salad! :)
posted by Jerry Marquardt on March 21, 2016
This salad looks absolutely heavenly. I will; be making this recipe because it looks so good. I am going to make it this coming weekend. I thank you so much for the share.