Summer Berry Salad Recipe with Arugula and Burrata

This 5-minute triple berry salad recipe is the perfect summer salad with colorful fresh berries, peppery arugula, and creamy burrata cheese all tossed in a light, citrusy dressing with good extra virgin olive oil. 

Fresh summer salad with all the berries! 

The salad game can get a little blah sometimes. But it doesn't have to, especially during the warm months when you can use beautiful fruit like watermelon, mangoes, or fresh berries to create a next-level summer salad that goes with all the grilled things!  

If you have a lot of berries to use up, this 5-minute fresh berry salad is a great option! Sure, you could certainly make a berry compote, jam, tart, or pie filling. But I think this simple summer salad with burrata and arugula is the perfect way to use fresh berries and showcase their tantalizing sweet-tart flavor without too much work!

Berries mix well with many salad greens like kale, spinach, spring mix, or arugula, which is my favorite! My Strawberry Spinach Salad with briny feta is the perfect example of how you can play with sweet and salty to make a savory salad that's far from boring.

In this recipe, I paired fresh blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries with peppery baby arugula, and thinly sliced red onions, which add texture and complex flavor to balance the sweet berries. And nestling in a few balls of soft  burrata cheese adds a little something special and makes this summer berry salad recipe a tad indulgent and more satisfying!

Berry salad dressing

Because this arugula and berry salad is already filled with texture and great flavor, I kept the dressing simple using only extra virgin olive oil and fresh lemon juice to allow the beautiful fresh ingredients to shine. 

It goes without saying, use the best quality extra virgin olive oil you have here, which can truly enhance the salad. I like a fruity, slightly peppery EVOO for this salad, so I opted for our Hojiblanca Spanish olive oil (but check out all our olive oil options, you can't go wrong with any of them).

How to make berry salad

This berry salad takes just 5 minutes and 3 steps to make – that’s why it’s one of my favorite berry recipes! Here’s how to make it: 

• Make the berry salad dressing. In a small bowl or Mason jar, whisk together 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, the juice of 1 lemon, and kosher salt and black pepper to taste. 
• Make the summer salad. To a large bowl, add 6 ounces baby arugula, 1 small sliced shallot, and berries of your choice. I used 6 ounces each of blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries this time, but I’ve also used blueberries and they were delicious! Pour the dressing over and toss very gently. (Be careful not to smash the berries.)
• Serve. Move the berry salad to a large platter for serving, and arrange 4 ounces of burrata on top. You can omit the burrata if you like, or substitute with feta cheese or baby mozzarella. 

Serve it with

This summer salad is a delicious healthy lunch or starter to enjoy with your favorite crusty bread while sipping on a refreshing sangria or aperol spritz! But, you can serve this arugula and berry salad next to your favorite grilled fish, crispy chicken schnitzel, or juicy grilled chicken. And if you’re after something extra special, serve this elegant summer arugula salad with berries as a bed to slices of beef tenderloin.  

Make-ahead tips

To prepare this salad ahead of time, simply prep the berries, arugula, and onions. You can keep them separately in the fridge or you can assemble the ingredients on a beautiful platter (without mixing) and cover until later. Add the burrata and dress the salad just before serving.

How do you keep berry salad fresh?

Berry salads are best eaten right away. But to keep the summer salad as fresh as possible, don’t dress it and don't add the cheese until you are ready to serve, and keep it in the fridge in a tightly-closed container.

Berry salad variations

You can play up this summer salad with other greens like baby spinach or spring mix in place of arugula (although I think arugula’s slight peppery bite adds complexity and depth). And, if you want to add more layers, sliced English cucumbers or small diced watermelon for an even more refreshing salad are great additions! 

Chicken berry salad option

One of the best ways to turn this arugula salad with berries into a delicious summer meal is by adding chicken! For this recipe, the best chicken option I can recommend is my easy lemon chicken. Here is what you need to do to add chicken:

• Follow this grilled chicken recipe or this one with a tenderizing yogurt marinade to season and marinate the chicken. When you're ready, cook the chicken on the grill or your griddle pan.
• While the chicken cooks, go ahead and prepare the berry salad. And just as the chicken is almost ready, dress the salad and arrange it on a large platter.
• When the chicken is fully cooked, slice it thinly and arrange it on top of the composed salad. Enjoy!

More quick summer salad recipes to try: 

Hungry for more? Browse my 50+ Top Mediterranean Diet Recipes or all Mediterranean recipes.

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*This post originally appeared on The Mediterranean Dish in 2018 and has been recently updated with new information and media for readers' benefit.