This vibrant summer berry mint salad is the perfect picnic or lunch dish during the warm months. With blackberries and nectarines to balance the salty prosciutto this dish is topped by the perfectly sweet blueberry mint dressing. It is Gluten and dairy free as well as top 8 allergen free.
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Why We Like This Recipe
We love this summer berry mint salad recipe because it follows our theory of how to make a great salad. All salads should have fruit, vegetables, and something crunchy to make them interesting to eat. This nectarine and blackberry summer salad showcases some of the best flavours of summer in one dish.
It is a light meal that doesn’t need the oven or stove in the summer. This salad can be packed for a picnic, with the dressing on the side or the office. The nectarine and blackberry summer salad ticks the boxes for us for summery eats.
Ingredients
The Berry Mint Salad:
- Romaine Lettuce
- Prosciutto
- White Fleshed Nectarine
- Blackberries
- Avocado
- Sunflower Seeds
- Mint
Sweet Blueberry Mint Vinaigrette:
- Blueberries
- Mint
- Maple syrup
- Lime juice
- White wine vinegar
- Olive oil
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions/Directions and Tips
Step 1
Chop or tear romaine lettuce into bite sized pieces and split between two bowls. Tearing stops the lettuce from rusting around the edges.
Step 2
Top the salad with the white nectarine slices, blackberries, and avocado. Split the toppings equally between the two bowls. More toppings can be added as desired.
Step 3
Sprinkle on the sunflower seeds and the chopped mint. Half on each salad. If seeds are not safe they can be omitted from the recipel The mint should be chopped very fine to give tiny bits in each bite rather than overwhelming diners with large chunks,
Step 4
Place all the dressing ingredients in a small blender like a magic bullet and blend for 2 minutes until the blueberries are fully pulverised.
Step 5
Pour half the dressing over each salad.
Hint:
To keep the summer berry mint salad looking its freshest put the dressing on right before serving. If put on and left the salad appearance will “fall”.
Substitutions
- To make this summer berry mint salad vegetarian omit the prosciutto on the salad.
- The lettuce can be substituted with a soft lettuce like butter lettuce.
- White flesh nectarines can be replaced with peaches or yellow nectarines or most plums.
Equipment
- Cutting Board
- Knife
- Mini bender- to mix the dressing but if you don’t have one the berries can be muddled in a container and mashed well before incorporating with the other dressing components.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
Storage
Fridge
Store the ingredients separately in sealed containers in the fridge for the best results. The avocado will brown if not kept airtight. It is best to cut the avocado at time of serving and not before. The dressing will keep in its container for 3 days. The salad ingredients will keep 2-3 days if uncut and at most 24 hours after cutting.
Freezer
These ingredients don't stand up well to freezing.
Top Tip
To bring the summer berry mint salad to a picnic or work, pack the lettuce in one big tub and each ingredient in its own bag inside the tub. Make the salad where you will be eating by turning the bags inside out so your hands don't touch the ingredients. Keep the dressing in a container inside a baggie so it doesn't leak. Shake then pour on the dressing, put the lid back on the tub and shake the salad to mix the dressing. Split by shaking the salad on to picnic plates.
What To Serve With
This is a great summer berry mint salad on its own for a light dinner or lunch. Eat the nectarine and blackberry summer salad as it is alone or as a side to a main course like Eggless Meatloaf or Gluten Free Roasted Chicken. It also pairs well with soups such as our Creamy Mushroom Soup or Chilled Cucumber Soup.
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📖 Recipe
Equipment
- Mini bender
- Cutting board
- Knife
Ingredients
The Berry Mint Salad:
- 4 C Romaine lettuce washed and dried
- 4 slices Prosciutto each slice cut in 4
- 1 White Fleshed Nectarine cut in slices
- ½ C Blackberries washed and dried
- ½ Avocado diced
- 2 Tbsps Sunflower Seeds raw shelled and unsalted
- 2 Tbsps Mint chopped fine
Sweet Blueberry Mint Vinaigrette:
- ¼ C Blueberries
- 3 Tbsps Olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Min finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon White wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Lime Juice
- 1-2 teaspoon Maple Syrup
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Chop or tear romaine lettuce into bite sized pieces and split between two bowls.
- Top the salad with the white nectarine slices, blackberries, and avocado. Splitting the toppings equally between the two bowls.
- Sprinkle on the sunflower seeds and the chopped mint. Half on each salad.
- Place all the dressing ingredients in a small blender like a magic bullet and blend for 2 minutes until the blueberries are fully pulverised.
Notes
Nutrition
Food Safety
- Do not use the same utensils on allergen free food, that previously touched allergens
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never use hot liquids in a blender
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
Have you made this recipe? Please leave a comment and us know how much you liked it.