Fresh berries are the star of this chopped salad that is topped with a homemade poppy seed dressing and sugared almonds.

You’ll also want to check out some of my other chopped salads – like this Italian Chopped Salad or this Asian Chopped Salad.

I have always liked salads. But I’ve usually been the “bring me a side salad before my meal” kind of person. Sometime in the last couple of years, though, that has changed. I don’t eat salads for dinner as often as I should, but I have definitely gained an appreciation – and love – for a good salad for dinner. And I definitely have a little chopped salad addiction.

It all started with the Thai Chopped Chicken Salad. And then I just couldn’t stop after that.

So of course, I’m back with another chopped salad. And this one is perfect for the summertime.

What You’ll Need

If you’re like me, you are buying all the fresh berries, all summer long. So those berries were actually the inspiration for this recipe! Here are the components and what you’ll need.

For the dressing:
White Balsamic Raspberry Blush Vinegar – ok, I know this is one that most of you probably don’t have in your pantry. And I used it simply because I did have it in my pantry. If you don’t have it, then you can really substitute in any vinegar that you love. I like the white balsamic for this over a regular balsamic just because the flavor isn’t as strong, but a regular balsamic vinegar will work. Or apple cider vinegar. Or sherry vinegar or a raspberry vinegar. You probably wouldn’t want a straight up white vinegar, but most any other should probably work.

Sugar – this is a sweet dressing, and that comes from the sugar. You could probably use a different sweetener of your choice, but I haven’t tried, so I can’t say for sure.

Mayonnaise – regular or reduced fat should work just fine.

Grated Onion – I like to use grated onion in salad dressings so that you get the flavor but not the chunks. I use a microplane, but you could use the smaller holes on any cheese grater.

Salt – feel free to add this to taste!

Dry Mustard – if you don’t have dry mustard, you can add in a small amount of regular or Dijon mustard instead.

Vegetable Oil – I like to use vegetable oil because of the neutral flavor. If you like a bolder flavor, extra virgin olive oil is totally fine. And really, if there is a different oil you like feel free to use that instead.

Poppy Seeds – the poppy seeds add some nuttiness and to the dressing.

For the Candied Nuts:
Almonds – I like to use slivered, but sliced would work as well.

Sugar – you’ll just heat the sugar to create a “crust” on the nuts, so I use regular granulated sugar. Although fine sugar would probably be even easier.

For the Salad:
Chopped Romaine Lettuce – I like romaine the best, especially for the crunch. But this could be changed to any other lettuce.
Mixed Berries – you can use whatever you have or whatever you can find. I like sliced strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries. You can use them all, or just what you like or have.

More Favorite Salad Recipes

Steak Cobb Salad
Antipasto Salad
Broccoli Salad
Caesar Salad with Pasta
Red Raspberry Spinach Salad

Looking for more free recipes?

Subscribe to my free recipe newsletter to get new family friendly recipes in your inbox each week! Find me sharing more family-friendly inspiration on Pinterest and Instagram.