Mixed Berry and Avocado Salad with Poppyseed Dressing

This simple summer mixed berry and avocado salad with poppyseed dressing is full of fresh berries, avocado, and maple candied almonds. Topped with an easy poppyseed dressing, it makes a delicious entree or side salad!

I love comfort foods. Gimme anything with carbs—pasta, cheese, bread, etc., and my tastebuds are happy. Unfortunately my body and tastebuds are like an old bickering married couple who can’t agree on anything. My body feels its best when I eat a grain, gluten, and dairy free, plant-based diet. Usually my tastebuds are like 😝, but luckily, there are foods that both my body and tastebuds love, like this mixed berry and avocado salad! 😋

I don’t know about you, but I LOVE fruit in my salad, especially berries. And the more berries, the better, I say!

I used to not be a big salad person, or a big vegetable person for that matter. Growing up in Hawaii, we ate meat and rice for almost every meal, and it was very typical for our meals not to include vegetables at all either. I wasn’t really used to eating salad or veggies…unless you count corn as a vegetable! But after becoming a parent, I wanted my kids to start off with healthy eating habits, so I had to set the example and eat healthy foods myself.

The things we as parents do for our kids, right?! 😜

I didn’t enjoy them though. I forced them down just like the kids did, but with a smile. Eventually, all of those years pretending that I liked vegetables paid off, because now I don’t like eating meals without them. There are days I actually crave a big salad over a bowl of pasta. I think my body is slowly starting to convince my tastebuds that it feels its best when eating wholesome, nutrient-rich foods too, which I love. 

This salad is quickly becoming my favorite summer meal because it’s fast, fresh, and delicious. Another plus about meals like these is that they require no cooking whatsoever either. It’s a win all around! Enjoy!

Mixed Berry and Avocado Salad with Poppyseed Dressing

 

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This simple summer salad is full of fresh berries, avocado, and maple candied almonds. Topped with an easy poppyseed dressing, it makes a delicious entree or side salad!

Author: Joscelyn Abreu

Recipe type: Salad, Gluten-Free, Vegan

Serves: 4–6 servings

Ingredients

• 5 oz (or more) baby spring mix or other lettuce of choice
• 3–4 cups of mixed berries of choice (I used strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries)
• 1–2 ripe avocados, peeled, pitted, and sliced or chopped
• maple candied almonds (recipe below)
• poppyseed dressing (recipe below)

Maple Candied Almonds:

• 1 cup raw almonds
• 3–4 tablespoons maple syrup
• pinch of salt

Poppyseed Dressing:

• ⅔ cup avocado oil, light olive oil, or other neutral tasting oil
• 2–3 tablespoons honey, sugar, or other sweetener of choice (use more or less to taste)
• ⅓ cup fresh white vinegar, wine vinegar or lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
• 1 small shallot, peeled and minced
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 2–3 teaspoons mayonnaise, for a creamier dressing (optional)
• generous pinch of salt

Instructions

Salad:

1. Place mixed greens in a large salad bowl and top with berries, avocado, and maple candied almonds. Serve with poppyseed dressing.

Maple Candied Almonds:

1. In a non-stick pan, combine raw almonds, maple syrup and a pinch of salt over medium-high heat. Continue to cook, moving constantly with a wooden spoon, until syrup begins to thicken and coat the almonds, 3-5 minutes. Syrup will continue to firm when cool, so remove from the heat just as soon as it begins to coat the nuts. Let cool before topping the salad.

Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing:

1. In a blender, combine oil, honey/other sweetener, vinegar, salt, mustard and onion and process until creamy and emulsified. Stir in poppy seeds. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight jar or container.

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