Delicious Raspberry Salad with fresh berries, feta cheese and candied pecans. The show-stopping raspberry vinaigrette that tops this salad is made with real raspberries!
The Best Raspberry Salad
My in-laws have amazing strawberry and raspberry plants in their yard. They invite us over every now and again, and we definitely take advantage of those plants—the kids get stuffed on berries, and we take home far too many, but make good use of them in our oatmeal, blueberry cobbler, or in this delicious salad.
Ingredients
- Lettuce: Forms the crisp base of the raspberry salad.
- Mixed Berries: Add natural sweetness and color.
- Feta Cheese (optional): Provides a creamy, tangy contrast.
- Candied Pecans: Add a sweet and crunchy element.
For the dressing:
- Red Wine Vinegar: Offers tanginess.
- Sugar: Balances the acidity.
- Salt and Dijon Mustard: Enhance flavor.
- Thawed Raspberries: Add fruity notes to your raspberry salad.
- Oil: Creates a smooth texture.
- Poppy Seeds (optional): Add texture and flavor.
How To Make Raspberry Salad
- Combine Greens and Berries: Toss together lettuce (like a spring mix) and a variety of fresh berries including raspberries.
- Prepare the Dressing: Blend ingredients like red wine vinegar, sugar, salt, Dijon mustard, thawed raspberries, and oil until smooth. Optionally, add poppy seeds.
- Add Candied Pecans: Mix in homemade candied pecans for crunch.
- Finish with Cheese: Sprinkle optional feta cheese for a tangy touch.
- Dress and Serve: Toss the salad with the dressing and serve immediately for freshness.
Quick Tip
For a larger batch of candied pecans and more details on storage, I have a full post dedicated to candied pecans.
Storage
This raspberry salad is best eaten immediately after assembly, as the dressing wilts the greens, and the berries and pecans lose their freshness. For advance preparation, store the salad components separately and assemble just before serving.
More Salad Recipes
- Roasted Sweet Potato Salad
- Winter Fruit Salad
- Butternut Squash Salad
- Orange Pomegranate Salad
- Brussel Sprouts Salad
Raspberry Vinaigrette Salad
Delicious Raspberry Vinaigrette Salad with fresh berries, feta cheese and candied pecans. The show-stopping raspberry vinaigrette that tops this salad is made with real raspberries!
Ingredients
Candied Pecans*
- 1 large egg white
- 2 teaspoons water
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar lightly packed
- 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 4 cups pecan halves
Salad
- 8 cups fresh spring mix lettuce
- 2 cups strawberries stemmed and thinly sliced
- 1 cup blueberries
- 1 cup raspberries
- 1/2 cup blackberries
- 1/3 cup feta cheese optional
Dressing
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 5 tablespoons white sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard do not use regular mustard
- 1/2 cup frozen raspberries completely thawed
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil (canola or olive oil will work)
- 1 teaspoon poppy seeds optional
Instructions
For the candied pecans (See Note 1)
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees F and line a large baking sheet (15x21 inches) with parchment paper.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the egg white, water and vanilla until frothy. In a separate bowl, mix together white sugar, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon.
- Add pecans to egg whites; stir to coat the nuts evenly. With a slotted spoon, remove the nuts and toss them in the sugar and cinnamon mixture until coated. Spread the nuts evenly on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring and tossing every 15 minutes. Set aside to cool to room temperature. Coarsely chop about 1/2 cup for the salad.
For the salad:
- Toss together the spring mix, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries.
For the dressing:
- Combine all of the ingredients except for the oil in a blender or food processor. Pulse until the ingredients are well combined. Slowly add in the oil in a steady stream. Blend until emulsified and smooth. If desired, add in the poppy seeds and stir to combine.
- This dressing is supposed to be pretty thick -- when you toss it with the salad it does thin out a little with the juices from the salad ingredients.
- Toss the dressing and candied pecans with the salad. Only dress and add pecans to what you will eat because leftovers don't sit well. You can store the salad, pecans, and dressing separately for delicious leftovers! Add feta cheese last. Enjoy immediately after dressing.
Recipe Notes
Note 1: This recipe for candied pecans will yield more than you need for this salad. Sugaring the pecans works best with this volume; leftovers store nicely! Store leftover candied pecans in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months or in the pantry for 2-3 weeks. (Recipe Prep/Cook time does not include the candied nuts.)
Note 2: Nutrition information doesn't include the candied pecans; those vary depending on how much you add.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 533kcal | Carbohydrates: 79g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 742mg | Potassium: 926mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 62g | Vitamin A: 23501IU | Vitamin C: 99mg | Calcium: 239mg | Iron: 4mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This was wonderful and the raspberry vinaigrette was just lovely… My family went bananas…
I am so thrilled to hear this! Thanks so much Elaine! 🙂
This salad was a big hit with my family…I added grilled chicken and the candied pecans on the side. Love it!
I am so thrilled to hear this! Thanks so much Joyce! 🙂