Salad needs to be exciting for me to want to eat it. This mixed greens salad ticks all the boxes with a bit of crunch + lots of strawberries. Don’t be intimidated by the fact that a mixed greens recipe has a little bit of everything in it… these greens all have different flavors that come together for a tasty lunch.
Who says a mixed greens recipe has to be boring? Not me!
Well, at least not me anymore. I used to cringe at mixed greens… yet I realized not all salads are created equal. Take this gem for instance.
This mixed greens recipe is filled with a nutrient-rich leafy green base, tangy green apple, creamy avocado, and crunchy almonds. Seriously, this salad is the perfect way to fuel your body with tons of plant based goodness!
Table of Contents
What to do with mixed greens
Making a salad that actually tastes good only takes a few key elements: fresh greens, toppings and a good dressing. As a result, the days of ranch on iceberg are over for good! Hallelujah!
Why are leafy greens good for you?
Did you know you can get not only nutrients, but also water, minerals and fiber from an awesome salad of mixed greens like this one? Obviously these are some pretty powerful plants!
According to a study done by Harvard, greens like kale, spinach and arugula are powerhouses when it comes to providing you with nutrients like Vitamin A, folate and Vitamin C – plus fiber, water and magnesium to help your digestion. Meanwhile, you just thought you were enjoying a yummy bowl of mixed greens topped with your fav homemade dressing. Go you!
To wash or not to wash?
There is a great deal of debate on whether or not you should wash greens before using. Haven’t we all been there? You show up to a friend’s house for dinner, excited to get in the kitchen to help – only to be mortified to see her dump a plastic box of greens into a bowl for tonight’s salad. If it’s pre-washed, then is it okay? What about organic?
Turns out, if your packaging states those lovely mixed greens have been pre-washed by a company that uses GMP or “good manufacturing processes”, you’re good to go.
That’s according to most sources, including an article published by the University of Minnesota. On the other hand, a recent study done by Consumer Reports says that we should all be washing any produce that comes into our cooking spaces, whether “pre-washed”, organic or otherwise. This is because even those mixed greens carefully washed by well meaning producers can still contain contaminants from ewwwie poo-ies (E. coli, etc.), chemicals and more.
After reading that, um…would you excuse me one sec while I wash up some leafy stuff for this mixed greens recipe?
How to take your salads on the go
Now, back to the reason we’re here. On with the salad! The strawberry herb dressing included in the recipe below is ah-mazing. Seriously, I could drink it.
If you want these greens to travel, then you can prep your salad ahead of time in a mason jar. It’s seriously so easy! Simply layer the ingredients in the mason jar, but store the (yummy, strawberry) dressing in a separate container. When you’re ready to eat, pour the dressing on, give the mason jar a good shake, and enjoy!
More simple salad recipes
Does this recipe have you jonesing for more fresh ways to use those mixed greens in your fridge? Yeah, me too. If you’re ready more crunch and more yummy homemade dressings, here’s a list of my favs for you!
- Pear Salad with Pomegranate
- Hearty Mason Jar Salad
- Healthy Taco Salad
- Vegan Salad with Spiralized Sweet Potatoes
- Strawberry Arugula Salad
- Berry Salad
If you give one of these or the recipe below a taste, then let me know by rating and commenting below!
Mixed Greens Salad
Ingredients
FOR SALAD:
- 2 cups mixed greens loosely packed
- ½ cup cucumber thinly sliced
- ½ green apple diced
- ½ avocado sliced
- 2 tbsp sliced almonds
FOR DRESSING:
- ½ cup strawberries diced
- 1 tbsp basil fresh, roughly chopped
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- pinch sea salt
- pinch black pepper ground, to taste
Instructions
- Arrange salad ingredients on a large plate.
- Puree the dressing ingredients in a blender or food processor. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if needed.
- Drizzle some of the dressing over salad (you may not need all of it). Eat immediately.
Notes
- Swap mixed greens with the leafy greens of your choice.
- Lemon Vinaigrette would also be delicious on this recipe.
- Add the nuts or seeds of your choice for more healthy fats + protein.
Love the dressing!
This recipe I love so much – I have made it for the past 3 days! Started over the weekend and it is so fresh and tasty. I added a chicken breast for more protein.
This recipe I love so much – I have made it for the past 3 days! Started over the weekend and it is so fresh and tasty. I added a chicken breast for more protein.
The strawberry dressing was delicious.
I have to be honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect with these ingredients, but it was SO delicious! I’ll be keeping this recipe for sure.
Probably the best-tasting salad that I have ever created. Perfect for luncheon with friends.
Loved this salad, used only spinach as my base. The dressing was the best. Since I normally use a bottled raspberry vinaigrette the home made was a nice change, very easy to throw together.
I loved this salad! I did make a couple of tweaks to ours but it was much more filling than I expected!!
Let me start by saying my salads are basic and is generally the base of this salad. What made this salad absolutely delicious was the dressing. It was light and delicious, a dressing I would never have chosen but so glad I did. This is added to my salad arsenal.
I loved the fresh flavor combos in this salad! The dressing was literally “lick the blender clean”! This will be in our lunch rotation for sure!
Love it, glad you enjoyed it.
So refreshing and good.
What a refreshing salad! I added microgreens to add texture, color and pack an extra punch of antioxidants. I also tweaked the dressing a bit by adding 1 tbsp of champagne vinegar and substituting agave for the maple syrup. I added about 1/4 c strawberries quartered to the salad to visually compliment the dressing. All in all it was a hit, can’t wait to try more.
We are more the savory kind of family so it was fun to try a dressing a bit sweeter but it probably will not be a standard fare….but I love the idea of incorporating anti-inflammatory ingredients such as berries into a dressing. Thank you, Jen for all the noodling you must do to create very cool recipes. I loved your soup challenge, too!
Nancy/Salado/Texas
The dressing was great. It was light and tangy with a hint of sweetness.
Not our fave. Maybe slicing some strawberries into the salad would have perked it up? Not impressed with the dressing…it wasn’t that sweet it wasn’t that sour…it was just bleh. Maybe I’ll add some basalmic vinegar or raspberry vinegar next time and see what that does. Something needs tweaking.
I totally understand. Sometimes it all depends on the sweetness of your strawberries.
This dressing was amazing, will be kept on my must have again list! Great tastes all around.