Berry Arugula Salad with tiny mozzarella balls, a little pasta, a little optional chickpeas and with not one but two dressings. This fresh berry salad is wonderful as-is or serve it for the perfect pairing for your favorite summer grilled proteins! Enjoy as a seasonal side dish or a lunch salad all summer long.

Speaking of summer meals, I always find its easy to hearty salads for sides to pair with grilled proteins, but the sides will need to be creative and fun, yet delicious and healthy. This salad does just that. Pair it with roast fish, salmon, grilled chicken, or good old fashioned hamburger, it works with all.

This Berry Arugula Salad will be a wonderful side dish to serve weeknights or bring to all of your weekend barbecues and summer get togethers!

Everything you’ll need to make Berry Arugula Salad

Berries: Sweet and a wonderful contrast for arugula. Berries are at their peak sweetness and look beautiful in summer salads. Strawberries, blackberries pair absolutely wonderfully with basil vinaigrette.
Arugula: Peppery contrast with sweet berries and creamy mozzarella balls, arugula is perfect in this salad.
Basil Vinaigrette: a summer staple basil vinaigrette is perfect for this salad to add flavor to pasta and chickpeas.
Pasta: short small pasta is perfect in this salad, and works beautifully at capturing the basil vinaigrette. Small pastas like macaroni, shells, elbow, short penne etc, it should be close to the size of the berries and baby mozzarella.
Baby Mozzarella: Also called Ciliengine or Mozzarella pearls, baby sized mozzarella cheese is perfect for this summer pasta salad. If you can’t find them, simply dice a large mozzarella ball or smaller mozzarella balls before adding it to the salad.
Chickpeas: for some protein and heft I love chickpeas. I swapped chickpeas for ½ the pasta.
Balsamic glaze: to complement the flavor of berries, balsamic glaze is wonderful in this salad. Available at most groceries stores sold where shelf stable condiments are kept.

Tips for making this berry arugula salad

Cook the pasta ahead of time, so there’s enough time for them to cool. Drain and leave it to cool naturally at room temperature or in case you forgot, rinse it under cold water. I recommend cooking in advance for perfect texture.
I like to add chickpeas as it adds some protein, and cut back on the pasta, keeps it light. Simply drain a can of cooked chickpeas and use.
Once the pasta is cool and chickpeas have drained toss them with the basil vinaigrette, so they absorb some of the flavor.
Next add in the chopped strawberries, blackberries and mozzarella balls and arugula. Give everything a light handed mix.
Taste the pasta salad adjust the seasoning or vinaigrette as needed.
Finally before serving drizzle the balsamic glaze over the top of the salad.