Stars and Stripes Salad is bursting with bold flavors. It’s got blueberries and feta, my go-to summer salad toppers. The sweet and salty combo is irresistible.
Beets add racy red color to the salad. Their velvety texture and earthy flavor complement the fruit and feta. Peppery radishes spice things up. And smoke-flavored almonds bring a warm weather bbq vibe.
Stars and Stripes Salad is perfect for the summer holidays. A simple lemon vinaigrette pairs nicely with all the big flavors, a bright balance to the melange of sweet and savory.
Stars and Stripes Salad
Stars and Stripes Salad is bursting with bold flavors and perfect for summer holidays. It's got blueberries and feta for the irresistible sweet and savory combo. Beets add color along with their plush texture and earthy flavor. There's radish for a bit of spice. While smoke-flavored almonds add crunch and a warm weather bbq vibe. A simple lemon vinaigrette pairs nicely with all the big flavors.
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients
- about 3 ounces lettuce, about 2 1/2 cups, bite sized pieces
- 1/2 cup fresh blueberries , whole
- 1 large cooked beet, sliced into about 1/4 inch strips
- 2 ounces feta cheese chunk sliced into narrow strips
- 2 large radishes thinly sliced into rounds, optional mini star cutouts
- 2 Tablespoons smoke flavored almonds roughly chopped
Lemon Vinaigrette
- 6 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (3 ounces)
- 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice (1 ounce)
- ½ teaspoon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Salad Prep
- Prepare salad greens as needed.
- Slice the cooked beet into 1/4 inch strips.
- Slice the chunk feta crosswise into 1/4 to 1/2 inch strips.
- Slice the radishes into rounds as thinly as possible. If desired, use a mini cookie cutter to stamp radish rounds into stars. Or go freehand with a paring knife.
- Roughly chop the almonds.
Make the Lemon Vinaigrette
- Combine olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, salt, and pepper in small bowl or container. Whisk well until thoroughly combined. Taste and adjust as you like.
Salad Assembly
- Put the lettuce into the bottom of quart sized serving bowl.
- Top lettuce with blueberries, beets, feta, and radishes. Sprinkle chopped almonds on top.
- Serve salad with lemon vinaigrette on the side.
- Refrigerate any leftover salad and vinaigrette.
Notes
- Use precooked beets or cook the beet in boiling water until tender. Then cool slightly, peel and slice. Large beets may take a long time to cook, 45 minutes or more.
- To optimize a Stars and Stripes effect, use a composed salad strategy rather than tossing all the ingredients together.
- As an alternative to radish stars, cut the radish into matchsticks to serve as white stripes and use crumbled (or cutout) feta for the stars.
Margie, you are really creative. This salad’s looks very festive and patriotic.
The ingredients are an interesting combination that I’m sure will be quite tasty. I will have to buy a small star cutter and then make it. Have a great 4th! 🇺🇸
Thank you Elaine! So nice of you to visit my blog 🙂