Nothing says summer more to me than lots of berries and fresh fruit in my salad! With the weather heating up lately, I really start craving salads, especially this one!
The best part about this dish is the vinaigrette. The blueberries and balsamic vinegar pair perfectly together and with all of the other ingredients in the salad. I also chose to make this vinaigrette because I had some blueberries that I needed to use up. You could always substitute the blueberries for whatever berries you have on hand. The other topping that I love in this dish is the pistachios. The spices add just the right amount of warmth and savoriness to the dish to help balance out the sweet from the fruit.
One thing that we have been trying to monitor more in our diet is added sugars. Simple adjustments in the food you buy will make a big difference. In this salad, I have canned mandarin oranges; but instead of buying the ones in syrup I bought the ones in fruit juice with zero added sugar. The same goes for the dried cranberries; it amazes me how much sugar is added to them, so try opting for the low or zero sugar added cranberries.
I hope everyone has a great week, and happy Memorial Day!
Summer Berry Salad with Blueberry Balsamic Vinaigrette
Yield: 4 Servings
Ingredients
1 c. blueberries
4-5 oz of spring mix salad greens
½ English cucumber, sliced
¾ c. mandarin orange segments in juice, drained
¼ c. dried cranberries
Turmeric Spiced Pistachios:
1 c. raw, shelled pistachios
2 tbsp. olive oil
½ tsp. turmeric
½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. salt
Blueberry Balsamic Vinaigrette:
½ c. blueberries
½ c. balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tbsp. honey
½ c. avocado oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Combine all spiced pistachio ingredients together in a bowl and toss to combine. Spread out evenly onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Set aside while oven is preheating.
For the dressing, combine all of the vinaigrette ingredients together (except for the oil), into a blender or food processor. Blend until combined and smooth in texture.
With the blender on low, slowly poor the oil into the blender. This allows the dressing to emulsify and prevent separation. Taste the vinaigrette and adjust seasoning to you preference. Set aside when finsihed.
When the oven is preheated put the pan of pistachios in for about 5-8 minutes. Be sure to keep an eye on them to prevent burning. They should give off a nutty aroma and be a slightly darker color when finished. At that point you can remove them from the oven and place in a bowl, to stop the cooking process.
Prepare the greens and cucumber for the salad. In a large bowl, combine your greens with the cucumber and a drizzle of the vinaigrette. Taste a piece of the lettuce and add more dressing if desired.
Top with cranberries, blueberries, mandarin oranges and pistachios. Enjoy!
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