This summer salad with poppy seed dressing also has mixed greens, fruit, and candied walnuts. It is sweet and satisfying on the hottest summer days!
There comes a time every summer, right about now when the mercury is really hitting its hottest temps (though really it’s not as hot here right now as it was a couple of weeks ago) when all I can think about eating is salad. Well, and ice cream. Always ice cream. I have sworn a solemn oath to never complain about the heat, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t like to eat foods that are cooling and don’t require me to turn on the oven and heat up the whole house.
We visited Nashville last week and our friend took us to Hattie B’s, a restaurant that serves Nashville hot chicken. It was really crowded…people love that place! We decided to take our food back to his house to eat, but he decided to eat at home (he’s a vegetarian). He made a salad with kale, avocado, and strawberries and, even though that chicken was delicious, I was seriously jealous of his salad. I started dreaming about what my perfect summer salad would contain and this is what I dreamed up.
A summer salad, in my opinion, should have fruit-berries, to be exact (with some mandarin oranges thrown in for good measure). Poppy seed dressing is the perfect complement to a fruity mixed green salad, with its sweet, salty, and “shallot-y” bite. Candied walnuts come together in less than five minutes on the stovetop and add the perfect sweet crunch, and bacon and feta add a salty accent. This summer salad was perfect on our dinner plates as well as in a Mason jar for lunch the next day. What are your favorite ingredients for a summer salad?
You won’t regret making this summer salad with poppy seed dressing and fruit!
Yield: 4 salads
Summer Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing and Fruit20 minPrep Time:
20 minCook Time:
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Ingredients
Poppy Seed Dressing (adapted from Pinch of Yum )- 1 small shallot, minced
- 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons plain yogurt
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon semi-sweet white wine or Vermouth (optional)
- ½ tablespoon cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- ½ tablespoon water
- 2-3 tablespoons poppy seeds
For the Candied Walnuts- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons water
For the salad- 2 bags mixed salad greens
- 4 strips bacon, cooked
- 1 cup blueberries, rinsed
- 1 cup mandarin oranges, well-drained
- 4 large strawberries, washed and sliced
- 4 ounces feta cheese
Instructions
- Preheat 1/2 tablespoon butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook until just beginning to brown. Add to a blender or food processor with remaining dressing ingredients (except poppy seeds). Blend until well combined. Pour into a small jar and stir in the poppy seeds. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Wash the pan and preheat the remaining butter. Add the walnuts, brown sugar, salt, and water. Cook and stir until the sugar thickens and the nuts start to toast. Transfer to a parchment paper lined baking sheet and allow to cool. Break the nuts apart.
- Divide the greens among 4 plates. Crumble one slice of bacon over the top of each plate of greens then top each salad with 1/4 cup of blueberries and oranges and one sliced strawberry. Crumble one ounce of feta over each salad and finish each with two tablespoons of dressing.
- To assemble a Mason jar salad, pour 2 tablespoons dressing in the bottom of a quart-sized Mason jar. Follow with the blueberries, strawberries, and oranges, then the feta and bacon. Stuff the half a bag of greens into the jar. Lid and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
The prep/cook time does not include time for the dressing and the nuts to cool.
7.8.1.296https://chattavore.com/summer-salad-with-poppy-seed-dressing-and-fruit/
Yield: 4 salads
20 minPrep Time:
20 minCook Time:
Save Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 small shallot, minced
- 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons plain yogurt
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon semi-sweet white wine or Vermouth (optional)
- ½ tablespoon cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- ½ tablespoon water
- 2-3 tablespoons poppy seeds
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 bags mixed salad greens
- 4 strips bacon, cooked
- 1 cup blueberries, rinsed
- 1 cup mandarin oranges, well-drained
- 4 large strawberries, washed and sliced
- 4 ounces feta cheese
Instructions
- Preheat 1/2 tablespoon butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook until just beginning to brown. Add to a blender or food processor with remaining dressing ingredients (except poppy seeds). Blend until well combined. Pour into a small jar and stir in the poppy seeds. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Wash the pan and preheat the remaining butter. Add the walnuts, brown sugar, salt, and water. Cook and stir until the sugar thickens and the nuts start to toast. Transfer to a parchment paper lined baking sheet and allow to cool. Break the nuts apart.
- Divide the greens among 4 plates. Crumble one slice of bacon over the top of each plate of greens then top each salad with 1/4 cup of blueberries and oranges and one sliced strawberry. Crumble one ounce of feta over each salad and finish each with two tablespoons of dressing.
- To assemble a Mason jar salad, pour 2 tablespoons dressing in the bottom of a quart-sized Mason jar. Follow with the blueberries, strawberries, and oranges, then the feta and bacon. Stuff the half a bag of greens into the jar. Lid and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
The prep/cook time does not include time for the dressing and the nuts to cool.
Click here to print the recipe for summer salad with poppy seed dressing and fruit!
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