Fresh Berry Salad and a Creamy Raspberry Dressing Recipe

Fresh Berry Salad with Creamy Raspberry Dressing

With Thanksgiving behind us, and the holiday season continuing, I thought it would be nice to post a lighter recipe, for a Fresh Berry Salad with Creamy Raspberry Dressing, to start off the week.

Salads are a great way to incorporate fruits, vegetables and nuts into a daily meal, especially berries, which are high in cancer-fighting phytochemicals such as anthocyanins, ellagic acid and pterostilbene.

Recently, a friend invited me over for lunch and served a tossed green salad with a bottled raspberry dressing. Alongside, she had a bowl of fresh berries. Without thinking, I spooned some berries on top of my salad, and she remarked "what a great idea." I thought she had meant to serve the salad and berries together, since the berries seemed to go naturally with the raspberry dressing.

When I got home, I decided to try to make a homemade raspberry dressing with fresh raspberries, as store-bought dressings often contain a lot of sugar and additives.  I found a recipe for a creamy raspberry dressing that contains no cream, but gets its creamy consistency from the dijon mustard. I halved the amount of oil, doubled the amount of raspberries, and used raspberry vinegar in my raspberry dressing recipe. The combination of fresh berries and a fresh raspberry dressing is so refreshing, and the nuts add a nice crunch.

Fresh Berry Salad with Creamy Raspberry Dressing

Printable Recipe
Creamy Raspberry Dressing:
¼ cup grapeseed oil or other flavorless oil

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons raspberry vinegar or white balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon fresh lime juice

½ pint fresh raspberries (6 ounce pack)
salt and pepper to taste

Salad:
8 cups mixed baby greens
½  cup fresh raspberries
½ cup fresh blueberries
½ cup fresh blackberries
4 tablespoon walnuts, toasted

To make the Creamy Raspberry Dressing, combine oil, honey, Dijon mustard, vinegar and lime juice in a blender and blend until emulsified.  Add raspberries and blend until pureed.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To serve, place a generous handful of mixed greens on salad plates.  Top with berries and walnuts.  Drizzle with Creamy Raspberry Dressing just before serving.  Serves 4.

More Berry Salad Recipes:
Spinach Salad with Fresh Strawberry Dressing from Enlightened Cooking
Very Berry Salad from Veggie Wedgie

Sources/Articles on Cancer-Fighting Berries:
An article on phytochemicals in berries by the American Institute of Cancer Research
The Power of Berries in the New York Times
Berries: Cancer-Fighting Superfoods? on MSNBC.com
Different Berries, Similar Cancer-Fighting Effects on Science News

Anticancer Ingredients: Raspberries, Blueberries, Blackberries, Leafy Green Vegetables, Walnuts