Blackberry Goat Cheese Salad
Blackberry Goat Cheese Salad comes together in under 10 minutes and is a light summer side dish, great for adding a touch of sweetness to your grilled favorites. Tart, sweet blackberries, tangy goat cheese, crunchy pecans, and fresh arugula all tossed in a homemade honey garlic dressing.
Serve this salad before a meal of juicy Grilled Chicken Kebabs with Vegetables and a side of our Easy Roasted Cabbage Wedges and Grilled Squash. Or maybe add grilled chicken on top and serve with a side of our savory Garlic Mashed Potatoes and a tall glass of Fresh Honey Lemonade!
Blackberry Goat Cheese Salad
Take advantage of blackberry season (and salad season) with this delicious Blackberry and Goat Cheese Salad. The combination of the sweet and slightly tart blackberries and the creamy, tangy goat cheese is unmatched.
Fresh arugula greens, some walnuts or pecans for crunch, sweet honey, and don’t forget the homemade garlic dressing that completes this easy as can be side dish!
You can easily customize the flavors in the dressing to your tastes depending on if you want your salad to be sweeter or more on the savory side. Make the salad and dressing ahead of time and combine the two when ready to serve to your family or guests.
Ready in under 10 minutes, this salad is great for a light lunch or served as a side dish. Add some Italian Marinated Grilled Chicken to make it a full meal. It’s simple, it’s easy, and it’s delicious. What more could you want in a fresh summer salad?
How To Make Blackberry Goat Cheese Salad
- Add the olive oil, honey, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper to a large bowl (or jar with a sealable lid) and whisk to combine.
- Toss with the arugula, blackberries, walnuts or pecans, and goat cheese. Serve immediately!
Tips and Variations
- If you aren’t serving right away, you can go ahead and combine the salad ingredients and keep in the fridge. Once ready to serve, toss the salad in the dressing.
- You can adjust the ingredients in the salad dressing to your tastes. For a sweeter dressing, add more honey, more savory, add more garlic, etc.
- You can swap the goat cheese for bleu cheese crumbles or feta.
- Blackberries can be swapped for strawberries or cranberries.
- A balsamic vinaigrette or our Red Wine Vinaigrette with Dijon Mustard would pair nicely with this salad as well.
- Pistachios also add some crunch and salty flavor to the mix.
Storage
Storage: The salad should be served as soon as it’s tossed in the dressing. However, the dressing can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
More Light and Flavorful Salad Recipes To Try:
Ingredients
Dressing
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
Salad
- 6 cups arugula
- 2 cups fresh blackberries
- ¾ cup pecan halves
- ½ cup goat cheese, crumbled
Instructions
For the Dressing
- Add the olive oil, honey, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper to a large bowl and whisk to combine.½ cup extra virgin olive oil2 tablespoons honey2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice3 garlic cloves½ teaspoon salt⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
For the Salad
- Toss with the arugula, blackberries, pecans and goat cheese. Serve immediately.6 cups arugula2 cups fresh blackberries¾ cup pecan halves½ cup goat cheese
- See post for storage options.