Salad for dinner? Why not? When the temperatures get hot, I create salads, which the whole family loves. My blackberry salad recipe is loaded with fresh berries, veggies, and Tofu Feta Cheese. Then, I dress it with a homemade blackberry dressing. So if it's hot outside, like it is in Arizona, you will love this blackberry salad.
Even though salad doesn't seem like a filling meal, the combination of ingredients turns a regular salad into a meal. Regardless of the plant-based plan we follow, most of us need more raw, fresh greens and whole foods in our diets.
BLACKBERRY SALAD IS FULL OF NUTRIENT DENSE WHOLE FOODS
WHAT ARE NUTRIENT-DENSE FOODS & WHY WE NEED TO EAT THEM
In his book, EAT TO LIVE, Dr. Furhman discussing the necessity of including the highest nutrient-dense foods in our diets to help the body’s immune system, detoxify, and help the body repair the cellular system. As a result, Furhman claims eating this way protects against cancers and other diseases. Likewise, if you want to lose weight, the more nutrient-dense foods you eat, the less you will crave low nutrient empty calories.
Dr. Furhman’s nutrient-dense food chart, for example, ranks the highest nutrient-dense foods and developed a scoring system called Aggregate Nutrient Dense Index (ANDI), which rates foods based on their nutrient density or how beneficial they are in terms of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients per calorie consumed.
The higher the ANDI score (1000), the better the food choice. However, low scores (1) are low-density empty calories like cola.
The ingredients in my blackberry salad, as an example, rank in the following way:
- Arugula 604
- Romaine Lettuce 501
- Peaches 65
- Tomatoes 186
- Blackberries 109
- Onions 109
- Tofu 82
- Cucumber 87
As a result, every ingredient in the salad appears on Dr. Furhman's nutrient-dense list. Furthermore, the blackberry dressing is also made with fresh blackberries to compliment the already nutritious blackberry salad.
GRILLED PEACHES WITH BLACKBERRIES IS SWEET HARMONY
Since peaches are in season, and I adore them, I decided to add a little peach love to my blackberry salad.
Although peaches are wonderful raw, there is a special something that happens when you grill a peach.
As a result, the sugar-plus-heat combination caramelizes the peaches. What happens when the grilled peach reaches your mouth is nothing less than magical.
TOFU FETA IS THE PERFECT PROTEIN FOR BLACKBERRY SALAD
Once I learned how to prepare tofu, I fell in love. My Tofu Feta Cheese is easy to make and can be made ahead of time, so it is ready for your favorite salad recipes.
Not only is Tofu Feta Cheese a great source of protein, but it also provides the savory to this sweet and delicious blackberry salad.
WHAT DO YOU NEED FOR TOFU FETA CHEESE?
- Extra-firm or sprouted tofu
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Miso Paste
- Garlic
- Fresh lemon juice
- Parsley
Even though many recipes suggest eating tofu raw, I prefer it grilled and returned to the marinade for a firmer "feta" texture.
If you are interested in learning about how to Pressed Tofu for Grilling, Baking, Air-frying, or Cooking in a Skillet, check out the directions and the recipe for Tofu Feta Cheese.
BLACKBERRY VINAIGRETTE DRESSING IS TO DIE FOR!
When eating blackberry salad, what better dressing to serve it with than blackberry vinaigrette? As many of you already know, I'm a dressing and saucy girl. I love GREAT oil-free dressings, so I made blackberry vinaigrette.
- Blackberries (fresh)
- Dijon Mustard
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Maple Syrup
- Water
In the end, the blackberry salad dressed with blackberry vinaigrette is a sweet and savory salad you will love time and time again. Take advantage of the beautiful produce of summer while eating healthy, nutrient-dense foods. Your body will love you for it.
FOR MORE NUTRIENT-DENSE SALADS, CHECK OUT THESE RECIPES
- Good Earth Kale Salad
- Kale and Quinoa Southwestern Salad with Cumin Citrus Dressing
- Vegan Kale Pasta Caesar Salad
- Asparagus Salad
- Spinach Pasta Salad
- Spinach Strawberry Salad
- Berry Blast Spinach Salad with Fat-free Viniargette Dijon Dressing: Eat to Live
- Chopped Southwest Salad
- Quinoa Greek Salad with OMG Oil-Free Dressing
📖 Recipe
Blackberry Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 head Romaine lettuce chopped
- 8 ounces Arugula
- 1 red onion sliced thin
- 1 pint blackberries
- 4 peaches cut in halves
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes cut in halves
- 1 English cucumber cut into bite sized pieces
Tofu Feta (optional)
- 1 recipe tofu feta cheese
Blackberry Vinaigrette Dressing
- 1 recipe Blackberry Vinaigrette
Instructions
SALAD
- Prepare all the salad ingredients.
- Combine chopped Romaine lettuce and Arugula in a large bowl
- Add sliced onions, cucumbers, blackberries, and tomatoes.
- Cut peaches in half and set aside.
TOFU FETA CHEESE
- Prepare tofu feta cheese ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to add it to the salad.
- Blackberry Vinaigrette Dressing
- Prepare the Blackberry Vinaigrette Recipe
GRILLING PEACHES
- Preheat the grill to 400 degrees
- Place the peaches, cut side down, and grill for 3 minutes; flip and cook the opposite side for 3 minutes.
- Remove from the grill and allow to cook completely before cutting into bite-sized pieces.
- Try not to eat all the peaches before putting them in the salad (they are that good)
SERVING
- Add tofu feta and cooled grilled peaches on top of the salad.
- Add dressing and toss
Notes
Nutrition
Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂
Anonymous