Talk about spiffing up a salad! I can’t imagine anything more enjoyable than tossing some crunchy, fresh spinach with blueberries AND a blueberry balsamic dressing. This was another of those spinach salad derivations featured in the February 2012 issue of Southern Living. Earlier I mentioned that I tried all four of the suggestions. Not sure which was my favorite, but this one—named Blueberry Fields Salad—was Hubby’s.
I’ve also previously noted that walnuts, by themselves, don’t appeal to me, but coating them with a good dressing and hiding them among some other salad toss-ins assures that I get my walnut quota. (That’s pretty important since I have one of those necessary evils—the annual physical exam—on the horizon. I’m hoping for a better-than-ever cholesterol score; walnuts and other nuts work toward that end.)
Spinach, blueberries, red onion, walnuts, and blue cheese, plus a dressing of balsamic vinegar, blueberry preserves, and olive oil are the only items needed to bring this delicious salad to the table. Pictured alongside the salad, above, are Pimiento Cheese Rolls, also depicted in the same February 2011 magazine. With this combination Hubby and I dined in style.
Blueberry Fields Salad
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup blueberry preserves (I used sugar-free)
1/2 cup olive oil
2 (5.5-ounce) packages spring greens and baby spinach mix (I used
just one large bag of spinach rather than the greens mix)
2 cups fresh blueberries
1 small red onion, halved and sliced
1 cup crumbled blue cheese
In a small skillet over medium-high heat, heat walnuts. Stir constantly, 5 minutes, or until walnuts are toasted and fragrant. In a small bowl whisk together balsamic vinegar, next 2 ingredients, and salt (or salt substitute) and freshly ground pepper to taste. In a large bowl combine walnuts, spinach mix, and the next 3 ingredients. Drizzle with desired amount of vinaigrette; toss to combine. Serve immediately with remaining vinaigrette. Makes 8 servings.
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