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–+ servings
a close up image of blackberry salad with fennel, avocado, apples

Blackberry Apple Salad with Fennel & Avocaod

20 minutes prep + 0 minutes cook
4 large servings
The most delicious blackberry apple salad recipe with fennel, avocado, cheese, pistachios, and a zesty poppy seed vinaigrette dressing!

Ingredients 
US Customary - Metric

For Salad:

  • 5 oz spring greens, spinach, arugula, or baby kale; about 10 cups
  • 1 large fennel bulb, very thinly sliced
  • 1 large green apple
  • 1 large avocado
  • 3 small shallots, thinly sliced
  • 1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese
  • 1/4 cup pistachios
  • 3 cups blackberries

For Poppy Seed Vinaigrette:

  • zest from 1 lemon
  • 1/3 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • 3 garlic cloves, pressed or grated
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme
  • 1 tbsp poppy seeds

Instructions

Making the Salad Dressing:

  • Start by preparing the salad dressing. This can be done ahead of time, too. Zest the lemon first and add to a large measuring cup, then juice the lemon, too.
  • Add in the olive oil, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, fresh thyme, and poppy seeds. Use a garlic press or microplane to grate the garlic and add to the dressing. Whisk everything together and set aside.

Preparing the Ingredients:

  • Fill a large salad bowl with the spring greens.
  • Cut the stems off the fennel bulb and trim off the bottom; keep the stems for later. Use a mandoline slicer to slice the fennel very thinly; I use the 1/18thinch setting. Very thin! Toss the sliced fennel with the spring greens.
  • Slice the apple next into thin matchsticks and sprinkle over the salad. Thinly slice the shallots and add them next. First quarter the avocado, then slice and add.
  • Sprinkle the goat cheese over the salad. Next, add your washed blackberries. Arrange the sliced avocado over the salad.

Assembling the Salad:

  • Garnish the salad with pistachios and fennel greens (these look like fresh dill). Just pick them right off the stems and arrange over the salad.
  • Keep the dressing and salad separate until ready to serve. Whisk the salad dressing together one last time and pour it over the salad. Use two large salad spoons for serving the salad.
  • We’ve been loving this incredible blackberry apple salad with a variety of main dishes. Steak, lamb, and chicken all pair beautifully with this salad.

Nutrition

Calories: 496kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 21g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 451mg | Potassium: 1013mg | Fiber: 15g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 1131IU | Vitamin C: 59mg | Calcium: 174mg | Iron: 3mg