All it takes is 6 fresh ingredients to make this summery fruit salad recipe plus a super simple dressing.

This salad recipe is truly summer in a bowl!

When I make a summer green salad I’m aiming for ingredients that are a bit crunchy, tangy, sweet and creamy. I want to take the taste buds on a true adventure!

Blueberries and basil are the perfect stars of this recipe, especially when they’re so fresh in the summertime. With every bite you get sweetness from the blueberries; crunchy almonds; tangy goat cheese; creamy avocado; and, freshness from the basil and greens.

Why you’ll love this fresh summer salad recipe

• You only need 6 fresh ingredients to make this salad and one large bowl.
• It’s a quick and delicious side dish for a summer bbq!
• This blueberry basil salad is an easy summer recipe to make as a side for a summer lunch or dinner.
• Easily make this summer salad a full meal by adding a grilled chicken breast or another protein of your choice.

Ingredients needed to make this summer salad recipe

Fresh Greens: The base of this salad calls for a fresh, crisp mix of spring greens but you could easily substitute with romaine lettuce or baby kale.

Blueberries: Gotta have fresh summer blueberries for that little bit of sweetness; you’ll need 1 cup blueberries.

Avocado: Brings a little creaminess and colour to the salad.

Toasted Nuts: Toasted sliced or chopped almonds work lovely but you can absolutely substitute too with walnuts.

Cheese: Crumbled goat cheese pairs so perfectly with the fresh blueberries and crunch almonds.

Fresh Basil: fresh herbs like fragrant basil leaves add another level of flavour .

Honey Lemon Vinaigrette: This simple vinaigrette brings the whole blueberry summer salad together with honey, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and black pepper

How to make this blueberry basil summer salad

Step 1: Toast the sliced or chopped almonds in a small pan of medium-low heat until just golden brown, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

Step 2: Add all of the honey lemon vinaigrette ingredients to a small bowl or mason jar, either whisk the dressing or shake in the mason jar to combine. Set aside.

Step 3: To build the salad add the greens, blueberries, fresh basil leaves and almonds to a large salad bowl. Toss the salad with half of the dressing, taste and add more if desired. Then top with crumbled goat cheese and sliced or chopped avocado. Drizzle over the rest of the dressing if desired.

Expert tips to make this summer green salad

• If you’re in a rush and don’t have time to make a dressing, use a store-bought balsamic vinaigrette instead.
• This is one of my favourite summer side dishes to make. Make as a side for anything on the grill!
• If you’re looking to add in even more flavour to this summer salad, add 1/4 – 1/3 cup of thinly sliced red onion.
• A good substitute for the almonds is toasted walnuts instead.
• If you want to shake things up even further, substitute half of the blueberries with 1/2 cup diced watermelon for a serious flavour boost!

Common questions

Can I use a different cheese than goat cheese?
YES! Crumbled feta cheese would go perfectly with all of the salad flavours and is a good substitute for goat cheese.

Is there another type of salad greens I could use?
The base of this salad calls for a fresh, crisp mix of spring greens but you could easily substitute with romaine lettuce. baby kale or even spinach.

What can I use instead of almonds if I have a nut allergy?
A tasty alternative to nuts in this salad recipe is crumbled granola, toasted sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds.

More fresh summer salad recipes to make from the blog

Quick Summer Green Salad Recipe

Kale & Peach Salad with Feta and Toasted Pepitas

Roasted Tomato, Arugula and Halloumi Salad with Pesto

Roasted Summer Vegetable Salad

Watermelon Mason Jar Salad

Print

Blueberry Basil Summer Green Salad with Goat Cheese

This Blueberry Basil Summer Salad is made with just 6 ingredients! A delicious summer green salad as a side dish for a bbq or make it a meal!

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Keyword summer salad

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 4 - 6 as a side dish

Author Jess

Ingredients

• 8 cups spring greens or greens of your choice
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves, chopped or torn
• 2/3 cup toasted, sliced or chopped almonds
• 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
• 1 avocado, pit removed and sliced or chopped

Honey Lemon Vinaigrette

• juice and zest of one lemon
• 2 tbsp liquid honey
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• pinch of salt and pepper

Instructions

• Toast the sliced or chopped almonds in a small pan of medium-low heat until just golden brown, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
• Add all of the honey lemon vinaigrette ingredients to a small bowl or mason jar, either whisk the dressing or shake in the mason jar to combine. Set aside.
• To build the salad add the greens, blueberries, basil and almonds to a bowl. Toss the salad with half of the dressing, taste and add more if desired. Then top with crumbled goat cheese and sliced or chopped avocado and drizzle the rest of the dressing on top if desired.

Notes

• Try fresh, sliced strawberries instead of blueberries.
• If goat cheese isn't for you, try feta or parmesan cheese instead.
• Don't want to use almonds? Try toasted walnuts.  A tasty alternative to nuts in this salad recipe is crumbled granola, toasted sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds.
• If you're in a rush and don't have time to make a dressing, use a store-bought balsamic vinaigrette instead

The post Blueberry Basil Summer Green Salad with Goat Cheese appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.

I can hardly believe it’s the beginning of July but I am in full summer-enjoyment mode!

June went by in a flash; I cooked and photographed a ton of recipes plus planned out my summer recipe calendar. There are SO many recipes coming to the blog that I’m excited to share with you PLUS I’m sharing my favourite recipes to make in July!

We finally setup our vegetable gardens in our backyard and I’m so excited to start to see the vegetables grow. I love being able to pop outside to grab herbs to use when I cook and I can’t wait to see the radishes, beets and carrots grow too! We’re also growing tomatoes, zucchini and kale.

Cooking seasonally is something I try to adhere to so I’m really looking forward to taking a cue from our gardens’ once they start really grow.  For weekly meal planning ideas the FeedFeed has a wicked weekly meal planner which provides wonderful ideas based on the season. Two of our favourite dishes we made this past month were a One Pot Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes & Oregano and a Classic Greek Salad. Both of the dishes were perfect for weeknights too!

The weather in Calgary was just perfect in June as well so I was able to enjoy lovely walks at the park near our house and on St. Patrick’s Island (one of my FAV spots in Calgary!)

And, we also went for a lovely paddle on Lake Windermere on the Canada Day long weekend; it was the perfect way to celebrate our beautiful country!

So, as we head into the throws of summer here is some recipe inspiration for July:

Blueberries: Summer Berries on Toasted Sourdough

Cucumbers: Minty Cucumber Lime Sangria

Peppers & Zucchini: Roasted Summer Vegetable Salad

Radishes: Watermelon Mason Jar Salad

Raspberries: Raspberry Rosé Popsicles

Strawberries: Summer Fruit with Whipped Cream

I’m spending time in Ontario this month, enjoying time in the sun and by the lake and many meals with family and friends.

I look forward to sharing my summer adventures with you and stay tuned for a summer cocktail and sharing board recipe, both which are perfect for summer entertaining! In the meantime, enjoy this Peach & Prosciutto Summer Focaccia at your next summer get-together!

Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess

The post What’s In Season – Monthly Favourites appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.