Blackberry Goat Cheese Salad

This salad is perfect in late summer, when blackberries are dripping off the vine. Pistachios, chèvre and honey-mustard vinaigrette pair perfectly with peppery arugula and sweet vine-ripe fruit.

Arugula, Blackberries, Goat Cheese…I’m In Love.

What’s not to love about summer berry season? We can’t get enough blackberries, raspberries and blueberries this time of year. Welove eating them sun-warmed and plucked straight from the vine, but we’re always looking for more ways to enjoy them when they’re ripe and perfectly in season. Enter in this arugula goat cheese salad. It’s become an absolute staple around here, paired here with our all-time favorite honey-mustard vinaigrette, made with stone ground mustard.

What Is In This Blackberry Salad?

Arugula salad recipes have a special place in our hearts—there’s just something extraordinary about arugula’s peppery punch!

Our blackberry salad pairs this sharp, peppery green with:

• Blackberries! So juicy and plump in mid-summer.
• Chèvre! Also known as fresh goat cheese, and the perfect summer cheese IMHO.
• Pistachios! They have a rich and distinct taste, and offer a lovely bit of crunch.
• Honey mustard vinaigrette! Drizzle generously and enjoy!

How do You Make Arugula Salad?

This goat cheese salad with arugula comes together in a jiffy. Start to finish, it’s ready in less time than it takes to throw some chicken on the grill. Smoky grilled chicken and a gorgeous blackberry arugula salad—doesn’t that sound like a match made in heaven on a warm summer night? Here’s how to get this arugula salad on your table—like, now!

1. Grab a jar with a tight-fitting lid and add all the ingredients for the honey mustard vinaigrette recipe. Feel free to use dijon mustard, if that’s what you have on hand, but we do prefer this vinaigrette with stone ground mustard if you’ve got it.
2. Toss your arugula, chèvre, blackberries and pistachios into a nice big bowl.
3. Drizzle with dressing, toss and enjoy! All of your summeriest blackberry salad dreams just came true.

Is All Goat Cheese Chèvre?

The short answer to this question is no, although chèvre cheese is always made from goat’s milk. Confused much? Let me explain!

Chèvre translates to “goat” in the French language. Chèvre cheese is a pillowy, soft and fresh cheese that has a milky, mildly tangy flavor. Just like with cow’s milk, many different types of cheese can be made with goat’s milk! From goat gouda to goat’s milk brie, or even our personal favorites, creamy Humboldt Fog and Drunken Goat.

We hope you understand now when we say that all chèvre cheese is made with goat’s milk, but it is not the only cheese that can be made with it! We love goat cheese and it’s slightly tart flavor, especially in the summer months. What are your favorite goat cheeses?

Honey Mustard Vinaigrette FTW!!

Coming together in just a few minutes, and delicious on all the SUMMER SALADS, this sweet homemade salad dressing is our summer salad go-to! Our favorite way to use it—second only to this blackberry salad—is poured generously over our baked salmon with grapefruit salad. We suggest whipping up a double batch of this stone ground mustard-laden liquid gold—you’re gonna need it!

Tools You’ll Need To Make This Arugula and Goat Cheese Salad.

• This goat cheese salad would look lovely in a large wooden salad bowl with matching salad servers!
• The perfect flip-top sauce bottles for this honey mustard vinaigrette recipe! They’re also great for gifting your homemade salad dressings! We especially love to give homemade vinaigrette as hostess gifts.