Springtime Detox Salad with Berries

Welcome springtime with our refreshing and invigorating Spring Detox Salad with Berries! As the seasons change, it’s the perfect time to rejuvenate your body and mind with a dish that’s not only bursting with vibrant flavors but also packed with antioxidant qualities to help cleanse and energize.

This salad combines crisp greens, sweet and tangy berries, and a light, zesty dressing to create a delightful balance of tastes and textures. Whether you want to add fiber, introduce more wholesome ingredients into your diet, or simply enjoy a delicious and colorful meal, this salad is for you. Below, find our carefully curated recipe along with helpful tips to keep both your belly and wallet full.

What you’ll need:

• Mixed greens (such as spinach, arugula, and kale)
• Berries (1/4 c each of sliced or diced strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and/or blackberries)
• Cucumber, thinly sliced or diced
• Red onion, very thinly sliced or small diced
• Walnuts, chopped
• Crumbled feta cheese (optional)
• Good quality olive oil (vegetable oil is fine if it’s what you have on hand)
• Apple cider vinegar (double this if you like a tart dressing)
• Honey
• Water
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Large bowl
• Tongs
• Small whisk
• Measuring cup
• Measuring spoons
• Sharp knife and cutting board

See below for our full ingredient list and instructions.

Budget-Friendly Tips for Buying Ingredients:

1. Mixed Greens: Look for sales at your local supermarket or buy in bulk from warehouse stores. I like Aldi for a box or bag of mixed greens on the cheap. Mixed greens can also be grown at home with minimal space and effort, providing a fresh supply at a lower cost.
2. Berries: Fresh berries are ideal for this recipe to ensure the salad remains vibrant and full of texture. If you’re looking to save, consider buying berries that are in season or on sale. Frozen berries, while not recommended for mixing directly into the salad due to their soggy, juicy nature once thawed, can be a great economical choice for creating a flavorful pureed dressing. Buying them in bulk can also save money.
3. Cucumber and Red Onion: These vegetables are generally affordable, but prices can vary depending on the time of year. Look for sales or buy them from local farmers’ markets for fresher and (hopefully) cheaper options.
4. Walnuts: For walnuts, I’m noticing that the larger bags are coming to me not so fresh, and are going rancid quickly, even with an expiration that’s months away. I’d suggest buying small packets of walnuts for this salad recipe so that you don’t have a lot left over for them to just go bad. Always keep walnuts refrigerated for longest shelf life.
5. Feta Cheese: Look for feta outside of the “specialty deli” area, where these items tend to be marked up. See if feta crumbles are in the prepackaged deli and American cheese slices section, where the cheaper varieties often hide. I find cheaper cheeses at Aldi or Trader Joe’s year round. Look for markdowns, too; if the goat cheese is on sale but the feta isn’t, this salad is a great time to substitute.
6. Dressing Ingredients: Olive oil, apple cider vinegar, and honey are staples that are worth buying in larger quantities for a better price per unit. And all of these are shelf stable for months if not longer. These ingredients can be used in lots of recipes, so they won’t go to waste.

Fresh berries vs frozen berries

Fresh berries provide a better texture and appearance for salads with delicate greens like this one, offering that vibrant burst of flavor without the sogginess weighing the rest of the ingredients down. If you only have frozen berries on hand, you can blend frozen berries into the dressing as a puree instead, a clever way to infuse the salad with berry flavor while maintaining the integrity of the greens.

When it comes to the variety of berries, use what you have on hand or go crazy and use them all, for a total of about one cup of berries. You’ll save money to just buy the berries on sale or what’s in season, too. Measure the strawberries after they’ve been sliced.

About the greens and lettuces

My favorite lettuces are butter and romaine, and for greens I like chopped, massaged kale. Renee loves arugula, but I find that it’s better in a mix like this one because it is both fragile and peppery. One bag or box of mixed spring greens should do it, but tailor this to your liking. If you love romaine, it will make a sturdier salad with more crunch, but for real nutrition, the darker the green, the better.

Serving sizes

The recipe as provided is typically designed to serve 4 people as a side dish. If you’re serving it as a main course, it might serve 2 to 3 people, depending on appetite and whether additional items are included in the meal.

The bottom line

Enjoy this delightful Spring Detox Salad as a light lunch or a healthy side dish. Its combination of fresh ingredients not only tastes fantastic but also supports your body’s natural detoxification processes. Try one of these Infused Water recipes to go alongside this refreshing salad!