Description
A stunning 15-minute spring salad bursting with juicy fresh blueberries, toasted pistachios, creamy feta, and crisp greens in a honey balsamic dressing. Sweet, nutty, salty, and tangy in every single bite — perfect for spring brunches, Easter tables, potlucks, and Mother’s Day gatherings.
Ingredients
- 5 cups mixed spring greens or baby arugula
- 1 cup fresh blueberries, rinsed and thoroughly dried
- â…“ cup shelled pistachios, lightly toasted
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese (block-style, crumbled fresh)
- ¼ cup red onion, very thinly sliced
- HONEY BALSAMIC DRESSING:
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1½ tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- Pinch of kosher salt and black pepper
Instructions
1. Place shelled pistachios in a small dry skillet over medium heat. Toast 2–3 minutes, stirring constantly, until fragrant and slightly deepened in color. Transfer immediately to a plate to cool — do not leave in the hot pan. Let reach room temperature before adding to the salad.
2. Place thinly sliced red onion in a small bowl of cold water. Soak 5 minutes to mellow the sharpness. Drain and pat completely dry with a paper towel.
3. Combine olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper in a small bowl or mason jar. Whisk until smooth and emulsified. Taste and adjust — add honey to soften sharpness from the balsamic, or a pinch more salt to make flavors pop.
4. Spread spring greens across a large bowl or wide serving platter. Scatter blueberries, drained red onion, and crumbled feta evenly over the top. Distribute toasted pistachios last so they sit visibly on top.
5. Drizzle honey balsamic dressing over the salad right before serving. Toss gently if you want full coverage, or leave artfully drizzled for a prettier plated presentation. Serve immediately.
Notes
BLUEBERRY RULE: Always use fresh blueberries — frozen or thawed berries bleed purple into the greens and turn mushy. Dried blueberries make the best off-season substitute.
DRY THE BERRIES: Pat blueberries completely dry after rinsing. Water on the berries dilutes the dressing and speeds up wilting of the greens.
PISTACHIO TOAST: Three minutes in a dry pan transforms raw pistachios dramatically — do not skip. The flavor difference between toasted and raw is significant.
DRESSING SIDE: For a party or potluck, always serve the dressing on the side so guests dress individual portions and greens stay crisp throughout the event.
VEGAN SWAP: Skip feta or use dairy-free feta. Replace honey in the dressing with maple syrup. Every other ingredient is naturally plant-based.
ADD PROTEIN: Grilled chicken, poached salmon, or a soft-boiled egg turns this into a complete lunch or light dinner.
- Prep Time: 12 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 minutes
- Category: Salad, Side Dish
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: About 1½ cups
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 14g
- Sodium: 290mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 4.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 7g
- Cholesterol: 15mg