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!
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
Rate this Recipe Print RecipeIngredients
FOR SALAD:
- 2 cups mixed greens (loosely packed)
- ½ cup cucumber (thinly sliced)
- ½ cup apple (green, diced)
- ½ avocado (sliced or diced)
- 2 tablespoon almonds (sliced)
FOR DRESSING:
- ½ cup strawberries (diced)
- 1 tablespoon basil (fresh, roughly chopped)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoon lemon (juice)
- 1 teaspoon 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
- Sub in 2 cups of spinach or 1 cup spinach, 1 cup baby kale for 2 cups mixed greens
Cathy W
I didnt get an email today, but went by the recipes I printed out. I thought it was a potato salad.? Anyhoo... i made it without the pickles and since we had snow, turned it into a soup! Turned out yummy!
DebB
My favorite of the two! Loved the crunch!
Teresa Hurley
Day 2 the Taco Salad
Did not expect to like this salad but boy were we wrong. Hubby and I both enjoyed it , cashew cream too. So glad I joined this challenge.
Simple Green Smoothies
So glad you and your hubby are enjoying it.
Rachel
Loved it, and my son ate some green salad for the first time ,he’s 20 .
Simple Green Smoothies
Awesome, that's so exciting!
Storme
Potato salad not a hit here, hubby called it cold potatoes
Disappointed as I thought it would be tastier, I’m not a fan of creamy potato salad & thought this might change my mind. I’ll fry it up tomorrow, hash browns will be delicious
Simple Green Smoothies
Way to give it a shot!
Lynn Gruber
Great ingredients, loved the salad.
cheryl mcnulty
This was so good.
Regina Tatum
Very good salad. I made it as in the recipe but I'm allergic to walnuts so I prepared but did not eat the walnut meat. It was easy as I shopped for week one on Sunday. Had everything and just put it together. I'm taking photos but I don't see anywhere to post them.
Laura B
Loved this recipe. Nice and simple and the best part was the amazing dressing!!
Yvette
Yummy, yummy, yummy...healthy food for the eyes, as well as the tummy! I loved this combination of greens, fruits, and crunchy nuts...delicious. This Mixed Greens Salad is the perfect dish to kick-off the beginning of Spring! ***** 5 stars
Martha Silbaugh
Since I never got an email today about day 2 and the recipe I will have to leave my review for day 2 salad here. The “Healthy Taco Salad” was hearty and I didn’t even miss real meat. The walnut meat was delicious! I liked uncovering new layers of the salad as I ate. Very good!
Martha Silbaugh
Forgot to rate the salad
Roni AUDLEY
Definitely my go to salad! The dressing is simply divine, mmm mmm mm!
Melissa C
The Healthy Taco salad is a winner! It’s truly a spin on the traditional taco salad. All of the ingredients went well with the cashew cream. I didn’t make the walnut meat but will next time it’s taco Tuesday.
Elaina
Healthy Tacos it was a wonderful change to our turkey tacos. Made a 2nd strawberry mixed greens today too! Thanks and looking forward to here's recipe
Terry King
Loved this salad I would never think to but these ingredients together. Yummy
Veera
I really enjoyed this salad with osm dressing.
I don’t like strawberry so lil bit scared to use it but once I taste it, I said just WOWW… .
Thank you so much for this osm recipe.
Monica Warre
Loved the dressing! Dressing went well with this salad and loved the crispness of the apples and crunch of the nuts included in it. I’ll definitely be making it again!
Tracy Tidwell
I didn't think all these strong flavors would work well together but they did.
Liz
Great salad! I used blueberries instead of strawberries due to allergies and loved the sweet, yet tangy, flavor. Definitely will do this one over and over. And, I do wash all my produce, even the organic ones and prewashed ones.
Liz
Sorry, forgot to give it the 5 stars it deserves!
BTW, how do we obtain the coupon for the Organic Girl greens? I clicked on an earlier email I received, but it only took me to the Organic Girl home page, no coupon. I have been buying Organic Girl super greens for a long time, wish they had them in the 10 ounce size, would love to save some green on the greens since everything is so expensive now.
Simple Green Smoothies
Check your email - I sent it to you! 🙂
Carol Montgomery
Very good. Lots of textures. I used arugula instead of mixed greens which would have been milder. The dressing was very good and I added the apple and avocado to it to prevent browning as I ate this salad for 2 meals. Preparing all the greens ahead of time was an excellent idea.
Quishanta G.
I was not too impressed by the Strawberry Mixed Greens. It works as a side dish, but I would add more ingredients to it for a meal.
Simple Green Smoothies
You can def bulk this up or use as a side salad! Way to go for trying it!
Emily
Loved the simpicity of the Strawberry Mixed Greens salad with the flavor punch in the dressing.
Pam
Not enough dressing for salad but it had a great flavor. I like to toss in a bowl so more of the lettuce leaves get covered.
Tamara
So pretty! Tasty too. Will add this to my salad arsenal.
Deena
Loved this salad! It tasted a little sweet, a little tart, and fresh. This will be a great addition to my lunch rotation.
Karyl Leonard
OMG This is my favorite! Love the crunch along with the creaminess of the cashew cream and avocado. Great blend of flavors too! I’m thinking this would be great in a lettuce wrap too!
Cheryl
I like the salad, but I need to try it again! I the diced the apple too small, I didn’t select a very good avocado at the grocery store (too many bad spots), and I put too much basil in the dressing. So while it was pretty good, I know I can do better next time!
Wen
Loved the ingredients in the salad. Found that the dressing needed more salt and I think I would have liked a little vinegar or more lemon...was too sweet for my taste but not a bad idea.
Karen Benson
Awesome Salad!!!!! Love the variety of taste and textures!!! This is now on my list of go to’s!!!!!
Rhonda Williams
This was better than I expected, we really liked it. I forgot to grab fresh basil but I had fresh parsley and mint and it was delicious. I'll make it often and swap out the fresh herbs.
Karen
Great balance of flavors and textures. The dressing made it taste like summer!
Lynn Komorny
awesome dressing makes this salad a keeper!! love it!!!
Susan Sciannella
Delicious salad! Instead of adding the strawberries to the dressing, I sliced them and added to the salad. My husband and I enjoyed this salad!
Terry
Wonderful salad. It was tart and sweet and tasty. I love the added ingredients as well and the dressing was sweet and yummy
Kylie R.
I chickened out on adding mint to the dressing but it was fantastic! I might be brave enough to add it next time but even with without it this salad is great!
Debbie Roberts
This salad was easy to make. It was filling and delicious and full of good things. I made the dressing with my immersion blender.
Joyce
I really enjoyed this salad. I loved the crunchiness of the apple. I didn't like all the mixed greens, but the wonderful and amazing Strawberry dressing made everything taste better. I will definitely make the dressing again. I couldn't believe how flavorful it was.
Stacey
Tasty and simple. A light salad with just the right amount of sweetness. This will be perfect for the warm Summer months when we stay outside more.
Tammy
Delicious dressing with the combination of basil and strawberry! It definitely benefits from added salt to make the flavor pop. Will be an awesome summer salad.
Ray Gray
I am enjoying making my own dressing. This has really been an awesome experience to be able to supplement what I buy in a way that I could never have imagined on my own.
Thank you so much for sharing the awesome recipes.
Niki Harry
Didn't have time to comment last night but I had it for dinner. It was absolutely delicious! I love fruit mixed with salad - right up my alley!
Gina
What a delicious spring salad! My husband and I both enjoyed. I thought there was still a little flavor missing…I couldn’t exactly pinpoint it, but maybe some fresh strawberries on top or maybe it was a little Dijon mustard in the dressing. Regardless, the salad says Spring!
Jo Ann
I made the salad on Mon but it was too much basil in the salad dressing for me but will try again when my home grown basil is ready to be picked.
Szilvia
Delicious salad. Never tried a sweet, strawberry-based dressing before, but I loved it. Will definitely make it again.
Simple Green Smoothies
Awesome, glad you enjoyed it!
Mark Standing
The apple is what really sets this salad apart. I love the tang with the leafy greens!!!!
Alex
This was a very refreshing salad and loved the dressing! Will be making this again!
Susan
Loved this salad will be making it again
Connie Green
I love this dressing! I will be using it on other salads and veggie mixes in the future. The salad was also quite good. I added a few chopped green onion tops.
Simple Green Smoothies
Yummy!
Cindy
The dressing was the best part but I will only use half the amount of Basil next time. (Maybe I don’t know how to measure herbs because I stuffed the tablespoon.). And I think I will not use avocado (I love avocado but it did not add anything to this recipe) or cucumber (the crunch factor that cucumbers usually add was lost in the apples) next time I make this salad. Like others have said, the star is the dressing.
Simple Green Smoothies
Feel free to make adjustments next time. When I measure herbs I just loosely pack them.
Terry (Teresa) D.
This was an easy salad to make. I couldn’t find fresh basil at the supermarket because it was sold out and I didn’t have time to to another one so had to use dried for the dressing. The dressing was light and refreshing and complimented the salad. I made it for dinner for my boyfriend who felt it was missing something, like maybe Gorgonzola cheese. I must admit he may have been right, but it is still a salad I would eat again.
Krista
Such a delightfully refreshing meal, just love the dressing!
Lisa Fitzpatrick
This is a keeper. It is simple and light. I love the fresh strawberry dressing, that takes only a few minutes to blend up. The avocado makes for a great protein and apples add an extra crunch. I added in a few more strawberries to the salad as well.
Belinda Robertson
Loved the salad dressing!!! I’m trying this challenge because I need new salad recipes. My family loved this salad.
Jamie
The dressing for this salad is amazing! The strawberry and basil combination is so fresh. Husband loves it as well. Really happy I found this challenge and recipes.
Simple Green Smoothies
Glad you are enjoying it.
Jennifer Leinhos
This salad was quite fun with the strawberry dressing, the apples and the avocado. A little added crunch from the cucumber was great. I added chunks of cheddar cheese just for fun. Not sure if so that again, but it was good.
Lynn
Salad was delicious even though my avocados were not ripe enough to include. The strawberry dressing was very aromatic and tasty. I look forward to having this again with the avocados which should make it even better.
Simple Green Smoothies
Yes, sometimes avocados can be tricky to have ripe at just the right time. When I buy them, I leave them on the counter until they are just a little soft. Then I move them to the refrigerator where they stay good for a couple weeks or more.
Darcy J
Such an easy and delicious meal!
Cindi Simmons
What a delicious salad recipe. My entire family enjoyed the strawberry dressing!
Simple Green Smoothies
Family salad times are the best!
Tammy Uyeda
This is Spring in your mouth if you could eat it! Bright, fresh flavours in a light and lively salad that would be great on its own or beside chicken, fish or soup as a pair. Delicious!
Simple Green Smoothies
You took the words out of my mouth! Great idea with paring it with other things.
Kristina Mercado
The strawberry basil dressing has to be my new favorite. This is the perfect spring salad. Everything was so crisp and fresh. It felt very light but at the same time very filling . Recommending this to friends and family.
Simple Green Smoothies
Thanks for recommending this salad to others!
Alice Johnson
I love this salad, but I really needed a few strawberries in the salad itself, so I sliced a few and added them to the green base. The dressing is surprisingly refreshing! I will make this again!
Meagan
This salad is delicious. All my family loved it! I’m rating 1 less only because I feel the dressing, although so good, could be a tad more acidic. I may add a splash of balsamic and enhance those strawberries more.
Simple Green Smoothies
Yummy idea!
Maura
Beautiful simple salad with an amazing dressing. Added a pinch of blue cheese, a few red onion rings and a tablespoon of candied walnuts, so good!
Simple Green Smoothies
I might just have to try that myself next time.
Monica
Excellent! My husband enjoyed too, so ding ding ding ding - a winner! He's usually resistant to anything new and different, so what a nice surprise! I forgot to take a picture, but it was a nice looking salad too. I think he may be signed on with doing this challenge with me!
Simple Green Smoothies
That's so awesome that he enjoyed it as well!
Stefanie
This salad tastes so good! I love the blend of veggies and fruit and the dressing adds so much flavor. This is a delicious way to enjoy a salad for lunch or dinner and a delicious and satisfying meal.
CATHERINE READ
This was a yummy salad! I loved the dressing and it was easy to make. Maybe a tad too much dressing for this recipe so next time I will save some of it for another day. I love that the dressing was creamy and rich. Even my husband liked it! I will make this salad again- it was pretty easy and I usually have these ingredients on hand.
Simple Green Smoothies
I love having left over dressing for a salad on another day!
June
Loved the strawberry with basil dressing. I usually don’t use added oils so I got creative with ways to add some “thickening” to imitate what olive oil does in a dressing. A touch of oil-less humus and some precooked sweet potato added a light texture without changing the flavor. Love to build a salad with leftover veggies. This great dressing adds a spring freshness to raw and lightly cooked vegetables.
Simple Green Smoothies
That's a great idea, way to make the salad totally you. Keep rawkin it!
Susan
The dressing is easy to make and DELICIOUS!!!!! Salad ingredients are good. I subbed celery for cucumber and it worked. Excellent recipe.
Simple Green Smoothies
I love the idea of subbing in celery for cucumbers.
Patricia
I really liked the salad but I made a few changes. My husband doesn’t like avocado so I changed it up a bit. I added a cold cooked beet and also sprinkled feta on top. The beet and apple went well together along with the feta.
Kristin Wheeler
So good my 14 and 13 year olds ate this without a question! The dressing is so tasty and easy to make that we will be making this regularly. The almonds gave a great crunch.
Simple Green Smoothies
So glad the kiddos are lovin it as well!
Elizabeth
Very good I love it
Stephanie P
Delicious! Loved all the crunch from the almonds, apples, and cucumbers. I really enjoyed the strawberry dressing, for which I used thawed frozen strawberries, since they’re out of season in Ohio. The basil added a nice herby touch!
Simple Green Smoothies
Frozen strawberries are perfect in this recipe. Way to be resourceful!
Jeanmarie Funke
I loved all of the medley of flavors in this salad! There was absolutely nothing boring about it! I love strawberries and the only thing I would change for the next time is cut down on the amount of basil because for me it overpowered the strawberry taste in the dressing. Overall very easy, delicious and filling.
Simple Green Smoothies
So glad you enjoyed it. That's a great note for next time.
Eunice
The salad and dressing tasted good. There seemed to be quite a lot of dressing compared to the amount of salad.
Simple Green Smoothies
Glad you liked the salad. Feel free to adjust the amount of dressing to your liking.
Tami
Loved this salad! The strawberries in the dressing gave it just the right amount of sweet. I also enjoyed the crunch from the almond slices!
Julie
I really liked the mixed greens salad. I added arugula to my greens. I was surprised how well the strawberry vinegrette mixed with the avocado. I think the crunchy apple made it all come together. I did add feta cheese to balance the salad to a sweet and salty flavor.
Simple Green Smoothies
That's a great idea, I bet it was tasty.
Kimberly
I really enjoyed the combination of ingredients in this salad, and the dressing was delicious!
Sue Garrard
I really enjoy this first salad. I don't eat enough salads because they are boring but this one was really fun. As I was eating it I thought that if I made my salads more like this I would eat them more often. It was very filling and fun to eat. I've been wanting to try some new dressings also. I will make this one again.
Simple Green Smoothies
So glad you enjoyed this salad! Can't wait to hear your thoughts on the remaining recipes.
Ronda
This salad makes a lovely and easy dinner. The strawberries in the dressing add a nice touch. All my favorite salads have some kind of crunch and the almond slices were perfect. I plan to add this one to my regular salad rotation list.
Simple Green Smoothies
Awesome news that it made your regular salad rotation list!
Barbara Wagner
The strawberry dressing on this salad really surprised us. We were leery of it...
It tasted fantastic!! A very nice surprise!
Simple Green Smoothies
So glad you're trying new things!
joan
this salad is great-I wouldn't thought for putting the strawberries into the dressing-it makes it so sweet. I can't add the oil -don't do well like fats like that-nuts, avocados are fine. Had it as a side dish with my curried lentil/rice dish.
Thanks for included this salad.
Simple Green Smoothies
Strawberries can instantly add a bit of sweetness without overdoing it!
Kathy Grayson
I was pleasantly surprised at how good the strawberry vinaigrette was and how well the seasonings came together. The salad components were an interesting combination but was bursting with flavor and different textures. I will definitely be making this again.
Stephanie Corley
Fantastic! All the ingredients came together so well. And the dressing….Yummy!! This salad will be added to my staple.
Alison
The dressing was delicious, and the salad had great texture with the almonds and cucumbers.
Julie
Delicious salad. I was surprised how well the strawberry vinegrette went with the salad. The crunchy apple balanced well with the avocado and greens. I like the peppery taste of arugula so I added some and added feta cheese for a salty balance to the sweet.
Linnea Conely
Used tahini instead of olive oil. Nice flavor.
Annie H
Good salad. Not a favorite but it was good.
Dani
My boyfriend and I worked together to prepare this salad the night before; he enjoyed it for lunch the next day while I've been finishing a complete master cleanse. He said he thought the flavor combination of cucumbers and green apples seemed odd, though it worked well in the salad. He also said the green apple's sweetness really complemented the other flavors. He finally said the dressing was good and mentioned using it with other salads.
Michaelea
This was a yummy salad! Definitely making it again.
Maureen C
This salad was amazing ! I love avocado and strawberries so this was right up my alley. I must confess - I added extra sliced strawberries to the salad. The apple added a nice crunch.
Jessica Cicero
Salad was great. Especially the bites with the green apples. The dressing could have been a little sweeter, but still very good.
Jennifer Alexander
Family approved! The dressing is absolutely delicious! I substituted diced strawberries on the salad for those who don’t like cucumbers.
Anitra Hutcherson
This salad was so good, I was actually shocked that I made it myself. I did way my greens even though they were pre-washed triple washed. I made it as directed so now I can play with it a bit. Off to a great start.
Kathleen Glenn
I really liked the dressing after it sat for an hour in the fridge. It smelled interesting right after I made it, but after melding…smelled yummy. This was a very bright and refreshing salad. I’m looking forward to having it often. Next time I’m adding some chicken.
mary ellen raymond
Liked this one -very fresh tasting and like the mixed greens! I often make a salad very similar to this, except use toasted walnuts and oranges and if time is short, I use coconut aminos as dressing. Thanks for a new idea.
Yared
I have never made dressing using strawberry or any fruit for that matter (except lemon and lime).
This was fun to make and delicious to eat. I think I will definitely make this a dressing that I pre-make and store for few days.
Thank you.
AlaskaOrBust
We liked the apple and avocado combo but either the tartness of the strawberries or the basil threw off the dressing for us.
Rosemary Oestreich
This is a great salad. I enjoyed the crunchiness and the dressing was amazing. It was easy and quick to make.
Linda
It was fun to make up this strawberry dressing! Something I’ve always wanted to do was try different dressing recipes, but never have. I can’t quite decide how much I really like it. I will have to try more another time.
Simple Green Smoothies
It's always a good day when you have fun in the kitchen!
Lacy
Great salad. The dressing was wonderful with the strawberries. The apples added a great flavor to it.
Dianne Yokeley
This is a delicious spring and summer salad. A great mixture of tastes and textures. The dressing is the perfect mix of sweet and tangy to complement the salad. So good!
Danielle
A beautiful salad. The dressing is so delicious. Both the salad and dressing were easy to put together. Love it.
Michelle
I LOVED the salad ESPECIALLY the dressing. All the flavors and textures were perfect.
Darlene Snead
I enjoyed making and eating mixed green salad. It was full of colors as well as flavors. I love strawberries so the dressing was tasty and had the perfect balance on top of the salad.
KAREN BALDWIN
This is going to be my go-to salad dressing all summer maybe even for the next ten days. I loved it!!
Wilma
This is a quick and easy salad. The dressing was easy to make and tasted great.
Veronica Brewer
This was so easy to make and so tasty! The ingredients really balanced each other out and the fresh basil gave me hope summer is on the way. My son enjoyed it and he is not a salad guy. Thanks!
Simple Green Smoothies
Yes, this salad tastes like summer!
Simple Green Smoothies
Glad you enjoyed it!