Raspberry Salad

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

1. Combine Greens and Berries: Toss together lettuce (like a spring mix) and a variety of fresh berries including raspberries.
2. Prepare the Dressing: Blend ingredients like red wine vinegar, sugar, salt, Dijon mustard, thawed raspberries, and oil until smooth. Optionally, add poppy seeds.
3. Add Candied Pecans: Mix in homemade candied pecans for crunch.
4. Finish with Cheese: Sprinkle optional feta cheese for a tangy touch.
5. Dress and Serve: Toss the salad with the dressing and serve immediately for freshness.

More Salad Recipes

• Roasted Sweet Potato Salad
• Winter Fruit Salad
• Butternut Squash Salad
• Orange Pomegranate Salad
• Brussel Sprouts Salad

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5 from 2 votes

Raspberry Vinaigrette Salad

By Chelsea Lords

This Raspberry Vinaigrette Salad is a burst of flavor with fresh berries, feta, and candied pecans, all topped with a homemade raspberry vinaigrette made from real raspberries!

Prep Time: 25 minutes minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 as a side

Equipment

• Large sheet pan 15 x 21-inch
• Parchment paper
• Blender or food processor

Ingredients

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USMetric

Candied Pecans (see note 1)

• ▢ 1 large egg white
• ▢ 2 teaspoons water
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 1/2 cup light brown sugar lightly packed
• ▢ 3/4 teaspoon 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 granulated sugar
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard not 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°F and line a large sheet pan (15x21 inches) with parchment paper.
• In a mixing bowl, whisk together egg white, water, and vanilla until frothy. In a separate bowl, mix together granulated 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 sheet pan.
• 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 the ingredients except the oil in a blender or food processor. Pulse until the ingredients are well combined. Slowly add the oil in a steady stream. Blend until emulsified and smooth. If desired, add 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.)

Nutrition Note: Nutrition information doesn’t include the candied pecans; those vary depending on how much you add.

Storage: This raspberry salad is best eaten immediately, as the berries and pecans lose their freshness, and the dressing wilts the greens. You can store salad components separately and assemble just before serving if needed.

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.

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