4th of July Salad (Printable version)
Patriotic berry and mozzarella salad with jicama and honey-poppy vinaigrette — bright, crunchy, ready in 15 minutes.
# What You'll Need:
→ Salad
01 - 4 cups mixed baby greens (arugula, spinach, romaine)
02 - 1 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
03 - 1 cup fresh blueberries
04 - 1 cup jicama, julienned (or apple as an alternative)
05 - 1 cup fresh mozzarella balls (bocconcini or ciliegine), halved
→ Dressing
06 - 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
07 - 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
08 - 1 tablespoon honey
09 - 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
10 - 1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
11 - Salt, to taste
12 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
# Directions:
01 - Wash and dry baby greens thoroughly. Arrange on a large serving bowl or platter.
02 - Distribute strawberries, blueberries, and jicama evenly over the greens.
03 - Layer halved mozzarella balls on top for a festive appearance.
04 - In a small mixing bowl, whisk olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, honey, poppy seeds, Dijon mustard, salt, and freshly ground black pepper until emulsified.
05 - Drizzle dressing evenly over the salad just before serving. Toss gently to combine or offer dressing on the side.
# Expert advice:
01 -
- The tangy poppy seed dressing hugs every bite—my secret to making the salad disappear in minutes.
- No fussy cooking, and the color alone makes people stop and smile at the table.
02 -
- If the greens are even a little wet, the dressing will slide right off—paper towels are your friend here.
- Forgetting to halve the mozzarella means you’ll have big bites of cheese instead of creamy moments throughout.
03 -
- Roll the mozzarella balls in a paper towel before slicing for clean halves without extra moisture.
- Add the poppy seeds at the very end of whisking to keep the dressing speckled, not gritty.