When blackberries are in season, it’s hard to imagine anything better-tasting. Sweet and tart all at once, this magical fruit is just as perfect sprinkled over a savoury salad (blackberries pair beautifully with goat feta), tucked under folds of pastry in a blackberry cobbler dessert or paired simply with some whipped cream.
A surprising fact: Blackberries are not actually berries!
Like raspberries and strawberries, blackberries are aggregate fruits, that is, frutits that consist of a number of small fruits. By contrast, cranberries and blueberries are actual “berries” because they only consist of one fruit.
Arugula and Blackberry Salad With Goat Feta Cheese
Tart, fruity, spicy and cheesy, this salad has it all. Add bulgur or wheat berries to make it a meal.
Ingredients
- 10 cups baby arugula
- 1½ cups blackberries
- 1 shallot finely diced
- 1 tub goat feta
- 10 toasted walnut halves chopped
- 6 slices coppa salami or prosciutto halved
- 1 lemon
Lemon Vinaigrette
- 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp hazelnut or walnut oil
- 2 tbsp liquid honey
- ¼ tsp each salt and pepper
Instructions
- Arrange arugula, blackberries, shallot, goat feta, walnuts and salami on a platter. Zest lemon and sprinkle over salad.
- Using paring knife, cut off top and bottom of lemon; set lemon flat on cutting board and slice away peel and pith. Working over bowl, cut between fruit and membranes to release segments into bowl. Arrange over salad.
- Lemon Vinaigrette: In small bowl, add zest and juice of lemon; whisk with hazelnut or walnut oil until combined. Whisk in honey, salt and pepper. Drizzle over salad before serving.
Notes
Tip: Add cooked bulgur or wheat berries for a dinner portion of the salad.
