Sweet… Salty… Crunchy… Tangy… Healthy… Hearty… These are all words that describe this delicious blueberry spinach salad.
I came up with this recipe last week while working at home. I needed a quick lunch and something good for me since David and I ate pretty poorly over the weekend. Some leftover blue cheese dressing in the fridge made this salad come together fast!
Blueberry season is here again and they have been on sale at the local grocery store. Blueberries are so fresh, juicy, and sweet when they are in season. I can’t wait until the local farm stands start offering them!
Blueberries remind me of our grandson, Seth. We were on our way somewhere and he and his dad were in the back seat of the truck snacking on a pint of blueberries like they were candy. I’m not sure why that memory stuck in my head for so long, but it makes me smile.
What’s In Blueberry Spinach Salad?
SPINACH:
This light refreshing salad begins with fresh baby spinach. I use the pre-washed kind you find in a bag. However, I almost always have to remove excessively long stems and a few wilted leaves.
APPLE:
Envy apples are our favorite variety of apple (they didn’t pay me to say this). In my opinion, they are 10X better than the Honeycrisp variety. If you cannot find them, Granny Smith, Fuji or Honeycrisp will work. A crisp apple is just better when cut up for salads
BLUEBERRIES:
You can buy blueberries all year long. I buy them almost every week when they are on sale. I love popping them into recipes here and there, especially our overnight oats. We love them in almost anything, even by themselves.
PECANS:
Pecans add a nice sweet buttery bite to this salad. David prefers pecans over almost any nut in salads. However, you could use any of your favorite nuts.
Purchase pecan halves from Millican Pecan Company, HERE.
BLUE CHEESE:
Blue cheese crumbles are added for extra creaminess and tang. It took me 35 years to become a blue cheese fan. I didn’t like it forever and then one day I did. I’m not sure how my palate changed overnight like that, but I am so glad it did.
If what’s in the dressing is enough for you, you can opt-out.
BLUE CHEESE DRESSING:
Once you make this rich and creamy homemade blue cheese salad dressing, you’ll never buy the store-bought stuff again.
You can put blue cheese dressing on so many things. Try it on these baked chicken wings, or this classic wedge salad. Learn more about Blue Cheese Dressing and get the recipe that makes more servings HERE.
How To Make Blueberry Spinach Salad
First, make the dressing. The dressing tastes best if it sits in the refrigerator for a few hours or makes it the day before. The longer it sits before serving, the better.
To make the dressing, whisk the milk together with the mayonnaise, sour cream in a small bowl. Whisk in the vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, and garlic powder until well blended. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Use a spoon to fold in blue cheese.
Equally, divide the salad ingredients into four serving bowls. Serve with the blue cheese dressing on the side.
If you love these ingredients, then you will love this salad. Try it today for Meatless Monday!
Blueberry Spinach Salad
Ingredients
The Salad
- 9 ounce bag fresh baby spinach remove any whilted leaves and excessively long stems
- 2 apples cored and chopped (see notes)
- 1 cup blueberries fresh
- 1 cup pecan halves
- ¼ cup blue cheese crumbled
The Dressing
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons sour cream low-fat
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 2 drops Worcestershire Sauce
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- 1 pinch garlic powder
- ¼ cup blue cheese crumbled
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
Make the Dressing (see notes)
- In a small bowl, whisk the milk together with the mayonnaise, sour cream. Whisk in the vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, and garlic powder until well blended. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Use a spoon to fold in blue cheese.
- Transfer to airtight container and refrigerate until needed. Stir well before serving.
Assemble The Salad
- Equally, divide the salad ingredients into four serving bowls. Serve with the blue cheese dressing on the side.
mimi rippee says
Love this. I love everything about it. your dressibng ins’t too strong or i couldn’t handle it. a little blue cheese goes a long way! sorry, hand suurgery, so bad typinc! A good thing, tho – needed to be done.
The Mountain Kitchen says
Thanks, Mimi! I hope your hand heals quickly. Take care!