A few nights ago, my sister in law had a family dinner at her home. We had barbecued salmon, cheese grits, sweet potatoes, fresh tomatoes and cucumbers, and a Blueberry and Mango Salad with Balsamic Honey dressing.
I found leaf lettuce, fresh blueberries, a mango and some pecans (just waiting to be caramelized) in my kitchen. In a few minutes, I made this delicious salad which was the perfect accompaniment to our impromptu dinner!
When I have fresh fruit in my fridge that needs to be used up, I often toss the fruit with whatever greens I have on hand (may favorite’s are: baby spinach, leafy lettuce or kale). Then I add pumpkin seeds, almonds, pistachios or even cashews. The dressing comes together in minutes as well. Olive oil, something acidic like lemon juice or balsamic vinegar, then, fresh garlic, onion, a bit of honey, salt and pepper and just like that you have a 5 star dressing! I rarely buy dressing any more because it never measures up to homemade.
This is the type of salad you make when you invite your girlfriends over for a lunch and serve with Lion House Rolls and a Dark Chocolate Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookie! To make this salad a main dish, just add grilled chicken breast or chop a prepared rotisserie chicken. This salad also works well with grilled or smoked salmon!
One kitchen tool I have found to be very helpful when making dressing is my Immersion Blender. I love how easy it is to make dressing in a flash with this handy tool. I’ve had mine for over ten years and can’t live without it! Costco also sells immersion blenders at the lowest price I have seen anywhere.
Blueberry and Mango Salad is the perfect side to so many main dishes and looks beautiful on a buffet table for brunch, lunch or dinner. If you need to make this ahead, just cut the lettuce and mangoes and store in separate bags to keep the salad from wilting! the pecans and the dressing can be made a few days ahead as well. Hope you love this fresh, easy to make summer salad!
Blueberry and Mango Salad with Balsamic Honey Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 large head red leaf lettuce
- 1 fresh mango
- 2 cups fresh blueberries
- 1 cup pecans
- 1/2 cup sugar, divided
Dressing
- 1/2 cup canola oil or light olive oil
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (white or regular)
- 3-4 tablespoons honey
- dash salt
- fresh ground pepper
Instructions
Salad:
- Wash and dry lettuce. Tear or chop lettuce into bite sized pieces.
- Cut the mango into chunks. Wash the berries. Place all ingredients into a salad bowl.
- Place the pecans into a Teflon pan over medium heat with about 1/3 cup sugar. Stir constantly, until the sugar starts to melt. Be careful to not burn the pecans. When the sugar is caramelized and has coated the pecans, remove from heat and add remaining sugar. Sprinkle with salt.
- Pour the pecans onto a sheet of foil and let cool. After cooled, roughly chop the pecans.
Dressing:
- Whisk remaining ingredients together using an immersion blender or hand whisk. Toss half of the dressing with salad. This makes enough dressing for two salads. Refrigerate any leftovers.
Notes
- The dressing can be made up to a week in advance. Keep refrigerated after making and allow to come to room temperature and blend before serving.
- The pecans can be prepared 1-2 week s before serving. Store in an air-tight container.
Did you make this recipe?
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Anonymous
Delicious! I used almonds instead of pecans.