Red, White and Blue Salad

This Red, White and Blue Salad is a great side dish for your 4th of July party or any summer get-together!

Strawberries, blueberries and creamy burrata cheese on a bed of spinach and cucumbers creates a salad filled with bright, fresh, juicy flavor.

Take it on a picnic or to a potluck. Add some chicken or salmon for a heartier meal.

You’ll even find substitution ideas to customize it exactly how you want!

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Red, White and Blue Salad

This Red, White and Blue Salad is a colorful side dish filled with fun flavors and textures.

The berries are bright and juicy. The cucumber is fresh and crispy. Sunflower seeds add a toasty crunch. Fresh herbs like basil and mint makes the whole dish just feel like summer. And burrata adds an irresistible creaminess. (Wondering what burrata is? Read my post here.)

Plus the berries and cheese echo the colors of the American flag, making it the perfect July 4th salad recipe.

It’s all tossed in an incredibly light and simple dressing to let all the ingredients shine.

 

What you need for this Red, White and Blue Salad

• a cutting board
• small knife
• a chef’s knife
• a small frying pan and small bowl or plate (if your sunflower seeds aren’t toasted)
• a large mixing bowl
• two large spoons for tossing the salad
• a medium mixing bowl or mason jar for the dressing
• a whisk if using a small bowl for the dressing
• measuring spoons (these are my favorite as they actually fit into spice jars)
• measuring cups
• a large serving bowl
• salad servers

How to make this Red, White and Blue Salad

First, if your sunflower seeds aren’t already toasted, add them to a dry skillet. Place the skillet over medium heat and let the seeds toast, stirring and tossing frequently, until a darker shade of brown. This should take anywhere from 3-6 minutes; keep a close eye on them so they don’t burn. When they’re done, pour them into a small bowl or on a plate.

Next, hull the strawberries by using a paring knife to cut out their leafy tops. Then cut the berries into bite-sized chunks, roughly the same size as the blueberries.

Add the spinach and berries to a large bowl.

Trim the ends off the cucumber and cut it in half lengthwise, then cut those halves in half lengthwise so you have 4 long spears. Cut the spears crosswise into about 1/2″-sized chunks. Add these to the bowl.

Roughly chop the herbs so you have about 1/3 cup total and add to the bowl.

If you toasted the seeds and they’ve cooled down, add to the bowl as well (if they were already toasted, just add them to the bowl here).

Using a mason jar or medium bowl with a whisk, combine the champagne vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Shake or whisk until thoroughly blended. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. If it tastes too salty or acidic, know that pouring it over a large salad will help diffuse those flavors.

If serving right away: Pour half of the dressing over the salad and toss. Add the burrata and pull it apart with your hands into bite-sized blobs (sorry, but that’s really what they are!). Add the rest of the dressing and toss again. Taste and adjust seasoning.

If serving later the same day: Assemble the salad but bring the burrata (still in its container) and dressing separately. Once you’re ready to serve, add the cheese and dressing and toss to coat evenly.

Substitutions and variations

There are SO many way to customize this spinach berry salad exactly the way you want it.

1. Swap out the spinach for arugula, kale, Romaine, Boston lettuce, or any other greens you like.
2. Use any berries you like, such as blackberries or raspberries. Cherries would also be great.
3. Instead of sunflower seeds, you can use toasted pumpkin seeds or any toasted, chopped nuts you like such as walnuts, pecans, almonds, cashews or hazelnuts (obviously if you use nuts instead of seeds the salad won’t be nut-free).
4. You can definitely play around with what vinegar you use, too. Try balsamic, sherry, red wine, etc. or lemon juice.
5. If you don’t like or can’t find burrata, you can use goat cheese or feta. Those little mozzarella balls would also be fun.
6. If you’re dairy-free, you can replace the cheese with cubed avocado. It won’t have the white part of this Red, White and Blue Salad but it’ll still be delicious. If you still want to add something white, try peeled, cubed jicama or chopped macadamia nuts.
7. You can try other herbs like parsley, tarragon or thyme.
8. To make it a meal on it’s own, add chicken, shrimp, salmon or chickpeas for extra protein.

 

Other recipes you might like:

1. Red, White and Blue Paleo Popsicles
2. Strawberry, Cucumber and Arugula Salad (add blueberries and it also makes a great Red, White and Blue Salad!)
3. Burrata Salad with Peaches and Prosciutto
4. Citrus Avocado Salad
5. Tomato Salad with Deconstructed Pesto

 

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