This mango berry salad with red poppy seed vinaigrette is perfect for spring. With fresh ingredients and a light, tangy vinaigrette it begs to be eaten again and again.
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This salad just screams spring.
The greens, the fresh berries, the colors. All of it.
But truly I am no respecter of seasons for this salad. I’ve been eating it all winter long while my heart has been longing for spring.
And with 70 degree forecasts all this week, I hardly dare say it, but I think it’s finally here! Hurray.
I eat a salad for lunch 3 to 5 times a week. Salads are quick to make, light, fresh, and delicious. And the salad I’m sharing today is one of my favorites.
The combination of flavors is so so good.
This salad has so many possibilities for variations
Variations are always a good thing when you eat salad as often as I do.
One of my favorite variations is to add cooked, chopped chicken (like a rotisserie chicken) or turkey breast. You can also switch out the berries (try strawberries–mmmh!). Try switching the type of cheese. Or leave off the mangoes if you don’t have them, but everything is always better with mangoes in my estimation. I’ve also subbed roasted cashews for the roasted almonds and it’s also delicious that way.
But can we talk about the red poppy seed vinaigrette for a minute?
The poppy seed dressing is superb
This dressing contains just a few simple ingredients but it has the perfect tangy and sweet combo going on.
Truly delicious.
Like I said, I usually make this salad for my lunch and just plate up the ingredients for one serving and then add the dressing (which can be made ahead of time).
If I were serving this at a lunch I would plate it individually and serve the dressing on the side.
You can combine it all in a large bowl and serve it that way as well. If doing this, I would wait to add the dressing until just before serving and toss it very gently so the berries don’t get all smashed. Even better would be to serve the dressing on the side because any leftover salad won’t last long once the dressing has been added.
Okay I’m off to have lunch. Any guesses what I’m having?
Mango Berry Salad with Red Poppy Seed Vinaigrette
This mango berry salad with red poppy seed vinaigrette is perfect for spring. With fresh ingredients and a light, tangy vinaigrette it begs to be eaten again and again.
Ingredients
For Salad:
- 10 ounces spring salad mix
- 2 large ripe avocados sliced
- 2 large ripe mangoes sliced
- 6 ounces fresh raspberries
- 6 ounces fresh blueberries
- ½ cup slivered almonds, roasted see note
- ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
For Red Poppy Seed Vinaigrette:
- ¼ cup olive oil see note
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons raw honey
- ½ tablespoon poppy seeds
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
-
Layer salad ingredients in a large bowl or serve on individual salad plates (see note).
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Prepare vinaigrette by combine all ingredients in a blender and blending until smooth and well combined. Vinaigrette can be made ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator. If making ahead, blend well before serving.
-
Pour vinaigrette over salad just before serving, to taste. You may not need entire amount. Or serve keeping vinaigrette separate and let people add their own.
Recipe Notes
1. For a lighter flavor, I sometimes use light olive oil, but you can also use extra virgin.
2. You can buy slivered almonds already roasted, but I usually buy them raw and roast my own.
SKILLET METHOD (best for small batches): Heat a medium skillet on medium-low heat on the stove top. Add the almonds and spread into one layer. Watch them really close and turn them often so they don’t burn. Turn down the heat if cooking too fast. When they turn golden brown, they are all done (takes about 10 minutes).
OVEN METHOD (best for larger batches): Preheat the oven to 350 F. Put the almonds in a single layer on a cookie sheet and put them in the preheated oven. Remove almonds from the oven and turn every 5 minutes until they have reached a golden brown color. This will take about 15 – 20 minutes.
3. Because of the delicate nature of this salad I like to serve it on individual serving plates rather than a serving bowl. I just layer the ingredients on the individual plates in the order listed. Then I usually serve the vinaigrette on the side and let people add their own.
4. This salad is best made and served the same day.
5. Variations: One of my favorite variations is to add cooked, chopped chicken (like a rotisserie chicken) or turkey breast. You can also switch out the berries (it’s delicious with strawberries) or leave off the mangoes. I’ve also subbed roasted cashews for the roasted almonds and it’s also delicious that way. Or switch the type of cheese. There are so many variation options available.
Recipe Source: Heather @ The Cook’s Treat
All images and text ©The Cook’s Treat
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