• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
The Garden Grazer
  • Recipes
  • Matcha
  • About
  • Newsletter
  • Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Gluten-Free
  • Oil-Free
  • Newsletter
  • Matcha
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Gluten-Free
    • Oil-Free
    • Newsletter
    • Matcha
    • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Salad

    Berry Crunch Salad with Candied Nuts

    Mar 25, 2021 by Kaitlin

    Jump to Recipe

    A fresh Berry Salad recipe with crunchy maple-vanilla candied nuts! It's topped with a strawberry balsamic dressing that's sweet, tasty, and customizable. (Vegan, gluten-free, oil-free.)

    Berry crunch salad on a plate with strawberry dressing

    This bright Berry Salad recipe is so flavorful and delicious!

    It combines fresh greens, sweet berries, and naturally-sweetened candied nuts for a delightful crunch.

    Then it's topped with a simple but tasty strawberry balsamic dressing.

    It's a great side dish for potlucks, BBQs, or simply at-home enjoyment.

    Fresh greens, strawberries, and blueberries on a white table

    Ingredients for Berry Nut Salad

    You'll need these ingredients to toss the salad together then drizzle it with dressing:

    • Mixed baby greens: Or other salad greens or lettuce of choice such as arugula, baby spinach salad, etc.
    • Fresh strawberries
    • Fresh blueberries
    • Clementine: Or mandarins, oranges, etc.
    • Maple-Vanilla Candied Nuts: This gives the salad nice crunch, texture, and added protein. You can make these ahead of time if desired.
    • Strawberry Balsamic Dressing: You'll combine this in a small blender. It's made with fresh, ripe strawberries, balsamic vinegar, pure maple syrup, Dijon mustard, salt, and optional poppy seeds.
    Strawberry balsamic dressing in a white bowl with salad on the side

    Customizing

    Fruit: Toss in other fresh berries like fresh raspberries, fresh blackberries, or even pineapple. (You could even substitute raspberries in the dressing to make it a raspberry vinaigrette instead.)

    Nuts and seeds: I enjoy this salad with the maple-vanilla candied walnuts, but add any nuts and seeds of your choice such as candied almonds, pecans, sunflower seeds, etc.

    Dairy-free cheese: Top your bowl with a sprinkle of vegan feta cheese or vegan goat cheese crumbles if desired.

    Change up the dressing! For a different berry flavor, try this Blueberry Salad Dressing instead.

    Plate of berry salad with candied nuts and strawberry balsamic dressing

    Storing

    Preparing ahead: If making ahead of time, store salad and dressing separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator. We find it keeps for about 2-3 days.

    Berry salad with candied nuts on a white plate

    For more inspiration, also browse all vegan salad recipes or walnut recipes.

    Berry crunch salad on a plate with strawberry dressing

    Berry Crunch Salad with Candied Nuts

    A fresh berry salad with crunchy maple-vanilla candied nuts! Topped with a strawberry balsamic dressing that's sweet, tasty, and customizable.
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Comment
    Prep Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Author: Kaitlin - The Garden Grazer
    Course: Salad, Side Dish
    Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Oil-Free, Vegan
    Servings: 4

    Ingredients

    • 5 oz. mixed baby greens
    • 5 oz. fresh strawberries (about 1 cup)
    • 3/4 cup fresh blueberries
    • 2-3 clementines/mandarins (or 1 large orange)
    • 1 cup Maple-Vanilla Candied Nuts
    • 1 batch Strawberry Balsamic Dressing
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Make the candied nuts. Then make the strawberry balsamic dressing.
    • Prepare your salad: Add mixed greens to a plate/bowl. Remove stems from strawberries and slice. Peel clementine and break into single segments. Top salad greens with strawberries, blueberries, and clementine.
    • Add candied walnuts, and top with desired amount of dressing.
    • If saving leftovers or preparing for later, store salad and dressing separately in the fridge until ready to enjoy.

    Notes

    Tip: Be sure to find ripe berries & produce. This salad is great for seasonal eating when ingredients are at peak harvest and flavor.
    Variations: Add your own favorite additions such as raspberries, blackberries, green onion, other seeds/nuts, avocado, etc.
    Quicker prep: If making the candied walnuts ahead of time, this salad only takes about 10 minutes (or less) to prepare.

    Nutrition Per Serving (Estimate)

    Nutrition Facts
    Berry Crunch Salad with Candied Nuts
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    226
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    11
    g
    17
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    1
    g
    6
    %
    Polyunsaturated Fat
     
    1
    g
    Monounsaturated Fat
     
    1
    g
    Potassium
     
    239
    mg
    7
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    28
    g
    9
    %
    Fiber
     
    4
    g
    17
    %
    Sugar
     
    19
    g
    21
    %
    Protein
     
    4
    g
    8
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    423
    IU
    8
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    50
    mg
    61
    %
    Calcium
     
    78
    mg
    8
    %
    Iron
     
    1
    mg
    6
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    Sodium: This is omitted as I cannot provide an accurate number. I encourage you to calculate your own to provide a much more precise reading based on the exact ingredients, brands, and amounts you're using.

    Get the Monthly NewsletterSubscribe here!

    If you are enjoying this Berry Crunch Salad with candied nuts and strawberry balsamic dressing, also check out:

    • Vegan Italian Pasta Salad (Oil Free)
    • Lentil Salad with Capers and Balsamic-Dijon Dressing
    • Quinoa Tabbouleh
    • Cucumber Salad

    Follow The Garden Grazer on Instagram, Pinterest, or Facebook for more updates and inspiration.

    More Vegan Salad Recipes

    • Kale slaw cover photo
      Kale Slaw with Creamy Dressing (Vegan!)
    • Kale beet salad cover photo
      Roasted Beet and Kale Salad
    • Curried rice salad with orange
      Curried Rice Salad with Orange
    • Mexican macaroni salad cover photo
      Mexican Macaroni Salad (Oil-Free!)

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating:




    1. Lynn

      September 03, 2022 at 2:41 pm

      5 stars
      We all enjoyed this as a side dish with our dinner... the candied nuts are really yummy!

      Reply
      • Kaitlin

        September 03, 2022 at 7:20 pm

        Wonderful, Lynn! Thanks for sharing.

        Reply
    2. HC

      April 26, 2021 at 5:34 pm

      5 stars
      I made this beautiful salad last weekend. Even the pickiest eaters enjoyed it! Thank you for a much needed inspiration for eating healthier!

      Reply
      • Kaitlin

        May 03, 2021 at 8:38 am

        That's great to hear!

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Hello, I'm Kaitlin!
    I live in Montana and share vegan recipes that are easy and healthy. About Me →

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Info

    About
    Privacy Policy
    Contact

    Follow

    Subscribe
    Facebook
    Instagram
    Pinterest

    Recipes

    Recipe Index
    Oil Free Vegan Recipes
    Gluten Free Vegan Recipes

    Copyright © 2023 The Garden Grazer