Wheat Berry Salad with Spinach and Blueberries — 🥗🫐🍓Loaded with superfoods including spinach, wheat berries, blueberries, cranberries, almonds, and more for so much FLAVOR and amazing TEXTURE in every bite! The honey Dijon vinaigrette is the perfect light touch to coat every bite of this incredible salad that’s perfect for lunch, as a side dish, or make it for a light dinner during warmer months!
Table of Contents
Recently I was at Whole Foods and saw a new salad in their deli case. The minute I tasted a sample I knew I wanted to recreate it at home.
Their salad was a great jumping off point but mine tastes better and is more flavorful. Not that I’m partial.
It reminds me of this Twelve Superfoods Salad which is a reader favorite. There are so many wonderful textures and flavors in every bite of this hearty salad filled with superfoods. Spinach, blueberries, dried cranberries, almonds, and more!
It’s easy, satisfying, healthy, and most importantly – it tastes amazing.
Salad Ingredients
To make the hearty wheat berry spinach salad with blueberries, you’ll need the following:
Salad:
- Wheat berries – see FAQs for other grain options
- Spinach
- Blueberries
- Gouda – see FAQs for other cheese options
- Dried cranberries
- Raisins – or dried cherries
- Slivered almonds – or nut of choice
- Fresh basil – or fresh cilantro
Dressing:
- Olive oil
- Honey
- Apple cider vinegar
- Dijon mustard
- Salt and pepper
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Wheat Berry Salad
Preparing a salad with wheat berries, spinach, blueberries, and other superfoods is SO easy! (If you’ve made another grain salad before, such as a quinoa salad, the process is similar.)
- Toss the salad: Add all the salad ingredients to a large bowl.
- Make the dressing: To a small glass jar, add all the dressing ingredients. Pop the lid on and shake vigorously to combine.
- Assemble and serve: Drizzle about half the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. If you prefer more dressing, simply add more to taste.
Recipe FAQs
This salad is incredibly flexible based on what you have on hand and enjoy. I used wheat berries but you can try quinoa, wild rice, couscous, barley, or mix and match the grains.
Of course! I used dried cranberries and raisins, but you can swap them for dried cherries or omit entirely.
Yep, I used gouda cheese, but aged white cheddar, crumbled feta, blue cheese, etc. may be all substituted.
Yes, you can use your favorite store-bought vinaigrette if desired or replace the apple cider vinaigrette with something like balsamic vinaigrette, basil vinaigrette, etc.
What to Serve with Wheat Berry Salad
Storage Instructions
If you don’t use all the vinaigrette, extra will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Leftover salad will last up to 3 days (likely longer, if not dressed). The spinach wilts as time passes but the dried fruit softens and the flavors marry and I enjoy this salad chilled.
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Spinach Blueberry Wheat Berry Salad
Ingredients
Salad
- 2 cups cooked wheat berries, (quinoa, wild rice, couscous, or barley can also be used)
- 2 cups baby spinach leaves, loosely packed
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- ¾ to 1 cup grated gouda , (aged white cheddar, crumbled feta, blue cheese, etc. may be substituted)
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup raisins , (or dried cherries)
- ½ cup sliced almonds
- ¼ cup fresh basil , finely minced (or cilantro)
Apple Cider Vinaigrette
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup honey, (or agave)
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- ¾ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ¾ teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
Instructions
- Salad – To a large bowl add all ingredients in the order listed; set aside.
- Honey-Apple Cider Vinaigrette – To a small glass jar or container with a lid, add all ingredients, put the lid on and shake vigorously until combined; taste vinaigrette and tweak as necessary to taste.
- Assembly – Drizzle about half the dressing over salad, toss to combine, and see if you prefer it moister and add more, to taste. Serve salad immediately or place into an airtight container, refrigerate, and serve chilled. The spinach wilts as time passes but the dried fruit softens and the flavors marry and I enjoy this salad for up to 3 days after preparing.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Salad Recipes Using Berries:
Twelve Superfoods Salad – Trying to eat healthier? Make this easy, flavorful salad! Loaded with everything healthy and it tastes awesome! Kale, quinoa, edamame, blueberries, grapes, seeds, nuts, and more!
Cranberry, Apple, and Blue Cheese Salad – All the flavors of fall in one gorgeous, hearty, and healthy salad!! The easy, tart-and-sweet dressing is just bursting with flavor!
Strawberry, Avocado, and Kale Salad – Make a kale lover out of anyone in this healthy salad with creamy avocado and juicy berries!
Pecan Strawberry Chicken Salad — The grilled chicken is so JUICY and moist thanks to a homemade pecan butter marinade!! Sweet strawberries and crunchy pecans add extra texture and FLAVOR!!
Grilled Chicken Berry Salad — Big, hearty, healthy, and chock full of juicy grilled chicken, blueberries, blackberries, creamy avocado, hard-boiled eggs, and more! Topped with a creamy shake-together red wine Dijon vinaigrette, this is a salad that you’ll want to put on rotation all spring and summer!
I was skeptical about a salad with quinoa (which is the grain I used). I am so glad I tried it after looking for recipes with spinach. And I had just purchased cilantro and didn’t know how to use it up either! Try it!! Your body will thank you.
We made this for dinner tonight and it was SO GOOD. I think I told my husband like 4 times after we finished that I really liked it! We’re adding it to our rotation of meals!
That’s awesome you’re adding it to your rotation and I’m so glad you loved it! Also try the 12 Superfoods Salad that’s linked in the post – similar yet different enough – but the same general approach.
Great photo. Makes me want to eat that salad now. As for fresh blueberries – they’re not in season for at least 3 more months. Too long to wait for salad. I’d think frozen blueberries would work just as well. Thanks for the recipe.
I used fresh and they tasted great! Maybe a little a head of the season, but they weren’t too expensive either. Unfortunately in the salad for me frozen would be a little too mushy but you could try and see what you think.
This looks so good! Blueberries in salads are so refreshing. Mmmmm! Such a spring-y salad.
Thank you!
I need to make this to keep in the fridge for lunch. Mel and I were just talking about Superfoods today..this looks like a keeper!
Both this salad and my other superfoods salad are perfect lunch options to have around! Funny you guys were just talking about superfoods!
DANG that looks delicious. I love blueberries in salad – I am a huge fan ever since I discovered that combo a few months ago. This looks like a particularly super (sorry, couldn’t resist) salad. I love your use of wheat berries too, love those things, even if I’m not 100 percent clear on what they actually are ;-)
This looks so fresh and tasty! I’m on a spinach kick so this immediately caught my eye.
It’s fresh and light and perfect for spring!
What a lovely fresh salad! I absolutely love hearty grains like wheatberries and farro so I’ll definitely have to try this. The perfect lunch dish!
I love hearty grains too! Wheatberries, farro, etc. just give salads like this that extra boost! Reminds me of the salad I ate when we were in Santa Monica together!
Your 12 superfoods salad is a favorite of mine and this one looks just as delicious and healthy! It’s also a great excuse to splurge a little on some fancy cheese. Blue, feta, gouda….love ’em all!!
I know you love my 12 Superfoods salad and you’ll have to tell me how this one stacks up if you try it!
I love this one just as much and can’t pick a favorite! There are similarities (lots of taste and texture from nuts, fresh and dried fruits) but yet the ingredients and dressings are different so it’s another wonderful combination of flavors. I had to go with barley for this one but want to pick up some wheat berries next time I’m at our local co-op. I did find a nice aged gouda which always pairs well with fruit. As always, I adore your salads:)
So glad you loved this one just as much as the other – and I know what a big fan you’ve been of that one since I posted it – so I’m glad the newbie can hang in there :) And also great to hear you find them similar yet different, I tried! The wheatberries were SO good here, hope you can get your hands on some! I am spoiled bc they have them premade daily at the Whole Foods salad bar :)