Summer Chopped Caprese Salad with Blackberries

Summertime is here and with these beautiful, hot days I’ve been craving some big, fresh salads to enjoy while soaking up the sunshine! My husband absolutely loves Caprese salad, so I wanted to try to bring that rich Caprese taste and also make it full of fresh produce and big enough for a meal. My Summer Caprese Chopped Salad with Blackberries is full of fresh basil, tomatoes, mozzarella, cucumbers, spinach, and juicy blackberries all enrobed in a citrus-balsamic dressing. Trust me, this salad recipe will be the perfect summer staple that everyone will enjoy!

The first step to make this salad is to prep and cut all of your ingredients. You can also do this step the day before you need to serve the salad, then the day of just toss all of your ingredients together. In a large bowl, toss together your spinach, tomatoes, cucumbers, basil, fresh mozzarella cheese, and blackberries. Set the salad aside for now while we make the citrus-balsamic dressing. In a small bowl (or a jar with a lid), place your smashed garlic, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Whisk the ingredients together (or shake them in the jar with the lid on) and then drizzle your zesty dressing over the salad.

Toss the salad lightly, making sure every component of the salad has some dressing on it. And that was it! So quick and simple to make, but the flavor of this salad is out of this world! I especially LOVE the blackberries with the citrus-balsamic dressing, they pair perfectly together. This salad is perfect on it’s own, or you can slice some fresh chicken or steak on top to make it a hearty meal. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator. If you would like to make this salad ahead of time, keep the dressing in a separate container in the fridge and then simply toss the salad with the dressing right before serving. I hope you try this recipe and start your summer off on a fresh, delicious note! This salad is definitely one I know I’ll be making for my family all summer long! 🙂

Summer Chopped Caprese Salad with Blackberries

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Serves: 4 to 6

Ingredients

Salad:

2 TBSP Fresh Basil, Chopped

5 OZ Spinach, Chopped

1 Cup Cherry Tomatoes, Cut into 4’s

2 Small English Cucumbers, Small Diced

4 Oz Fresh Mozzarella Cheese, Small Diced

1/2 Cup Blackberries

Dressing:

1/2 TBSP Fresh Garlic, Smashed (Or Finely Diced)

Juice of 1/2 a Medium Lemon

3 TBSP Good-Quality Olive Oil

3 TBSP Balsamic Vinegar

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Black Pepper

Instructions

The first step to make this salad is to prep and cut all of your ingredients. In a large bowl, toss together your spinach, tomatoes, cucumbers, basil, fresh mozzarella cheese, and blackberries. Set the salad aside for now while we make the citrus-balsamic dressing. In a small bowl (or a jar with a lid), place your smashed garlic, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Whisk the ingredients together (or shake them in the jar with the lid on) and then drizzle your dressing over the salad. Toss the salad lightly, making sure every component of the salad has some dressing on it. This salad is perfect on it’s own, or you can slice some fresh chicken or steak on top to make it a hearty meal. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator. If you would like to make this salad ahead of time, keep the dressing in a separate container in the fridge and then simply toss the salad with the dressing right before serving.