Berry Spinach Pasta Salad is fresh flavorful and perfect for summer potlucks and barbecues. Best of all, packed with healthy spinach, fresh strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, avocado, rotini pasta tossed in a balsamic vinaigrette. Serve with or without grilled chicken.
One of my favorite things about summer is all the fresh fruit and produce. Berries are so good right now and my kids can’t seem to get enough. They are little fruit monsters and we can easily go through 2 pounds in just one sitting some days.
They love them plain and straight from the bowl but we also love tossing some into a big loaded pasta salad.
This easy Mixed Berry Spinach Pasta Salad is fresh, flavorful and makes a super delicious lunch. Best part though? It’s super simple to customize and comes together quickly.
HOW TO MAKE MIXED BERRY SPINACH PASTA SALAD:
You’re going to start off with some spinach and crispy green leaf or romaine lettuce. Throw in some fresh basil and your favorite cooked pasta (I used rotini).
Whisk together the homemade vinaigrette by combining balsamic, dijon mustard, garlic, honey (leave out for lower carb or swap in some liquid monk fruit instead) then drizzle over the mixed greens. Or if you’re a fan of spinach salad with poppyseed dressing, you can certainly use that instead.
Top with fresh sweet strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries and diced avocado.
And if you want to make this a main dish, add in some grilled or rotisserie chicken. For some added crunch, top with pecans and crumbled feta for an extra layer of flavor.
This Berry Spinach Pasta Salad is packed with flavor and makes a great side dish. It’s amazingly easy to make ahead and makes a wonderful addition to those picnics, barbecues and potlucks going on this weekend.
Berry Spinach Pasta Salad is fresh flavorful and perfect for summer potlucks and barbecues. Best of all, packed with healthy spinach, fresh strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, rotini pasta tossed in a balsamic vinaigrette. Serve with or without grilled chicken.
- 1-1/2 cups of cooked rotini penne or farfalle work as well
- 3-4 cups baby spinach
- 1 cup green leaf or romaine lettuce chopped
- 2 cups fresh strawberries hulled and sliced
- 1/2 cup fresh blackberries washed, dried
- 1/2 cup fresh blueberries washed and dried
- 1/2 cup fresh raspberries washed and dried
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil or mint finely chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 1/2 tablespoon feta crumbled, optional for serving
- 1 avocado diced
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons honey, maple syrup (can also use 2 teaspoons liquid monkfruit)
- 1/2 garlic clove minced
- 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
Combine pasta, spinach, lettuce and basil in a large mixing bowl.
In a small bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the vinaigrette.
- Pour 2/3 of the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.
Divide into bowls and add strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberry, and avocado. Drizzle with the remainder of the dressing.
Serve with chopped pecans and crumbled feta, if desired.
Jess @ Flying on Jess Fuel -
Love this!! So fresh and summery!! I am alllll about the fresh berries lately, they are so yummy this time of year.