This page may contain affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase an item I may receive a commission at no cost to you. Thank you for your support!
This refreshing salad is the perfect patriotic recipe for every summer party. Featuring fresh berries, feta cheese, roasted nuts, and spinach, this salad is tasty and healthy. The American Flag is a symbol for all things summertime: Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day. Making this American Flag Salad is an easy and festive way to celebrate the summer!
I love summer salads. Have you ever seen the movie I Love You Man? Paul Rudd’s character says: “Did you know that the best night I’ve had in the last 5 years is a night that Zooey and I split a bottle of wine, we made a summer salad and watched “Chocolat” together?” I couldn’t agree more. Every night I get to enjoy a summer salad is the best night! I particularly love the combination of saltiness from the cheese and nuts combined with the sweetness of the fruit. Such a refreshing and delicious way to enjoy summer produce!
With the upcoming Fourth of July holiday I decided to make a patriotic American Flag Summer Salad. This adorable salad was so fun and easy to make! All you need is a square shaped dish, a base of greens, and some red, white and blue toppings. See the list below for the exact ingredients I used along with some substitution suggestions. Just remember this salad is supposed to be fun to assemble so don’t take yourself too seriously!
INGREDIENTS
- Greens Base: I used baby spinach for my base. I love the neutral taste of spinach and I think it pairs better with fruity toppings than some other greens. A spring mix would also work however I do not care for the bitter taste of some mixed greens.
- Blueberries: Many of the ingredients in this salad are interchangeable, however blueberries are a must! The only way to create the blue space in the upper left corner of the American flag summer salad is to add blueberries. Deep purple grapes or plums might also work, however the blueberries are perfect.
- Red Fruit: In order to create the stripes in the American Flag I used sliced strawberries and Craisins. These are interchangeable with raspberries, red grapes, and cherries. Get creative!
- Candied Pecans: To avoid a salad oversaturated by strawberries, I also used candied pecans to create the red lines. Although they are not “red” they still look the part. The candied pecans are interchangeable with other dark candied or roasted nuts.
- Cheese: In order to create the “white stars” inside the blue square of the American Flag, I simply sprinkled feta cheese on top. There is no need to overthink this, just have fun! No need to count the stars, just sprinkle cheese until you are satisfied with how to looks. I also created a white stripe on the flag using a line of crumbled feta cheese.
- Slivered Almonds: The light almond color was perfect to create another white stripe in the salad. Pro tip: To bring out the flavor, toast almonds in a skillet over medium heat until they become fragrant.
- Apples: One of the best parts of a summer salad is the variety of ingredients. To further the variety, I used diced Honeycrisp apple to create a white stripe. Any apple would work for this.
- Other ingredient suggestions: Bacon bits would be a delicious addition to the red stripes in the American Flag Summer Salad. If you are a onion fan, red onions would also make the perfect red stripe. Sliced pears would also be delicious in lieu of the diced apple.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
I suggest making this salad in a square-shaped casserole dish with high edges. The edges will provide support to hold all of the toppings in place. If you are assembling this salad in advance, I recommend waiting to dice the apples. The apples will begin to brown as soon as they are diced due to exposure to oxygen. Additionally, the diced apples will release some moisture which may wilt the spinach.
I served the American Flag Summer Salad with a few dressing options: balsamic vinaigrette and raspberry vinaigrette. I recommend keeping the dressing on the side. We enjoyed our salad topped with delicious grilled chicken. Try grilled chicken with my perfect chicken marinade recipe! Warning: it will be extremely difficult to actually serve this salad because it is so pretty! But I promise it is worth it.
Are you looking for other patriotic recipes for the 4th of July? Try my festive chocolate drizzled popcorn!
American Flag Summer Salad
Ingredients
- 1 package baby spinach
- 1 cup blueberries
- 1 cup sliced strawberries
- 1 6 oz package feta cheese
- 1 medium apple, peeled and diced
- 1/2 cup candied pecans
- 1/2 cup Craisins
- 1/2 cup slivered or sliced almonds
- 1 dressing of choice (see notes for recommendations)
Instructions
- Lay spinach (or greens of choice) in a casserole dish with high edges.
- Next, add the blueberries in the upper left hand corner in the formation of a square.
- Add a red stripe at the top using the sliced strawberries.
- Create a white stripe below the red stripe using diced apples. Continue alternating white and red ingredients throughout the entirety of the dish.
- Lastly, sprinkle feta cheese over the blueberries to create the "stars".
- Serve salad with dressing on the side until serving.
