This year’s CSA started on Monday with a first week loaded with lettuce – baskets and baskets of lettuce!
There was so much lettuce, in fact, that our farmers were giving it away, as much as you could take, whether or not you had purchased the larger, family-sized share rather than the smaller version that we chose.
It pained my frugal heart to take only two heads, even in addition to the kale, pokeweed, catnip, and so on that we already had in our box. But it was easier to accept when I unpacked our bags at home and tried to figure out how the two of us would eat so many greens before they wilted.
It almost goes without saying that we’ve been eating salads ever since.
Salads with goat cheese and pesto, with a hodgepodge of vegetables or fresh strawberries, and this triple berry one that we had tonight.
At its heart, this is a simple combination. But the shallots and walnuts add a more complex, savory note that reminds me of Thanksgiving, and then the whole thing gets kicked up even more with the cayenne-honey vinaigrette on top (tone down the heat with a honey balsamic vinaigrette instead!).
It’s not hard to like pictures of plates piled high with fresh lettuce and berries. And it’s easy to bring them to life by serving this dish in your own home.
Whether you’re a CSA member, an infrequent visitor at your local farmers market, or something in between, you’ll love the pop of freshness provided in this dish when it’s made with just-picked, locally sourced ingredients.
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Triple Berry Salad with Sauteed Shallots and Walnuts and Cayenne-Honey Vinaigrette
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings as a main, 4 as a side 1x
Description
In this weeknight salad for two, the fresh crunch of leaf lettuce pairs beautifully with sweet berries, a savory blend of sauteed shallots and walnuts, and a sweet and spicy dressing.
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 2 shallots, peeled and sliced
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 8 cups chopped leaf lettuce
- 1 cup quartered strawberries
- 1/2 cup blueberries
- 1/2 cup raspberries
For the Dressing:
- 3 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 to 3 dashes cardamom powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- In a large skillet, melt coconut oil over medium-low heat. Add sliced shallots and cook 5-10 minutes, until they are just beginning to brown, stirring occasionally. Add walnuts and continue cooking to toast the nuts, about 5 minutes more. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
- In a large bowl or split onto two plates, combine lettuce and berries.
- In a small bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients, taste, and adjust seasoning as desired. Drizzle dressing on top of salad (you will likely have some left over to use later).
Notes
Note that nutritional info below includes the entire batch of salad dressing.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Dinner
Keywords: berries, salad, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, shallots, walnuts, cayenne
What kind of fruit do you like with your leafy greens? Let us know in the comments below, and please rate the recipe if you enjoyed it as much as we did!
If you’re a fan of fruit and berries mixed in a salad, you’ll love these recipes:
- Fresh Berries and Spinach Salad
- Bright Kale and Grapefruit Salad with Spiralized Apple and Red Onion
- Bosc Pear, Currant, and Hazelnut Salad
- Fresh Summer Fruit Salad
- Arugula Dijon Salad with Figs and Pistachios
Photos by Shanna Mallon, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Originally published on June 4, 2014. Last updated: December 14, 2021 at 4:55 am.
Nutritional information derived from a database of known generic and branded foods and ingredients and was not compiled by a registered dietitian or submitted for lab testing. It should be viewed as an approximation.
About Shanna Mallon
Shanna Mallon is a freelance writer who holds an MA in writing from DePaul University. Her work has been featured in a variety of media outlets, including The Kitchn, Better Homes & Gardens, Taste of Home, Houzz.com, Foodista, Entrepreneur, and Ragan PR. In 2014, she co-authored The Einkorn Cookbook with her husband, Tim. Today, you can find her digging into food topics and celebrating the everyday grace of eating on her blog, Go Eat Your Bread with Joy. Shanna lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with Tim and their two small kids.
Such a yummy, simple, salad! Love!
Thanks, Katrina!
Berry salads are my favorite, and the addition of the shallots, walnuts and honey vinaigrette sounds amazing! Also that lettuce is so pretty. I’m going to need to hop on the CSA train.
Thanks, E! And oh my goodness we love CSA season. It’s like a game every week: “What will we get? How will we use it all?” My kind of fun, haha!
our csa doesn’t start until next weekend, i’m so jealous that yours has started already. but still, we manage to grab greens and baby kales for our salads at night, because anything that requires turning on the oven or stove is shot down.
PS. i was just thinking last night that dw & i have been married just 9 months (!!!) and it’s been such a wondrous journey. so wonderful in fact, we just booked our one year anniversary trip, even though only just got back from our honeymoon in april….
Aw, I’m so happy for you guys, Lan. I hope you and we always feel this way.
I love when you talk about marriage because it reminds me to give more credit to the good work that’s done in our imperfections rubbing against one another. Lately, it seems so many of my imperfections have surfaced. They’re not just rubbing, they’re shooting out like darts. But without the closeness of Brad and marriage, they would never be so obvious and never be vulnerable to letting them go.
Man, you said that so well. YES.
What a wonderful salad you created, you have the sweet and salty thing going on. Can’t wait until your Einkorn cookbook comes out in December.
Aw, thanks so much, Cheri! We hope you’ll enjoy it!
After a week of indulging on holiday, I definitely need a lot of nourishing and life-affirming saldas like this in my days.
Your trip looked wonderful! I was eating gelato vicariously with you the whole time… : )
Free lettuce!? I would have had a hard time passing that up, too. My CSA starts tomorrow and I can’t wait for the inspiration it will bring. I most enjoy that it forces me to try new things and increase my vegetable/salad intake. Your salad is beautiful!
Right? And it was beautiful, giant lettuce, too. The kind that looks like a big, green bouquet. Oy! Hooray for your CSA starting soon! It’s just the best, all the pressure I put upon myself to use everything notwithstanding, hahaha. : )
Shanna, I notice that you share a very very special bond with Tim which you just can’t hide! It shows in almost all of your posts in one or the other way! Stay blessed you both!!
Ami, You’re sweet. He’s a treasure. I hope it shines from me all the time! Thank you!
This recipe looks so wonderful! I just love all the fresh berries. Yum!
I wasn’t sure about the cardamom and cayenne, but they were the perfect balance to the sweetness of the berries. Even my husband, who doesn’t like spicy foods, really enjoyed this. Thanks for a great recipe!
★★★★★