Blueberries and peaches aren’t just for desserts! They are amazing in salads too! I love this blueberry spinach salad with its combination of sweet and savory all topped off with candied pecans and blue cheese. This is a salad you need to try while the blueberries and peaches are fresh and juicy.
As I write this, I’m listening to thunderstorms roll across the area. Nothing too close so far, but lots rolling rumbles and a nice breeze is kicking up. My kind of summer evening! (At least once the sun goes down and I’m done enjoying my yard and deck.)
It is going to be amazing sleeping weather tonight. Warm enough that I’m not chilly, but cool enough that I need a blanket. Perfect!
The only question left is which cats are going to sleep on the bed with us. Midnight loves a good snuggle and will probably visit us early in the evening. And then I think Starbuck will jump up and quietly find her place once the annoying boy cat is gone. Let’s just say they don’t get along and Starbuck is still wondering why he won’t leave…5 years later. Most days we have detente and other days Midnight gets a time out.
Luckily he takes being put in the bathroom for a bit quite well.
Whoa! That was big one! 🙂 Usually thunderstorms pass us by and don’t come too close. Not this time!
Another thing I love on summer’s evening is a big salad full of fresh produce. This is the time of year when I want simple, I want fresh, and I don’t want to turn on the oven if I can avoid it.
Once I made my Blueberry Vinaigrette and tested it out, I knew I needed to make a salad worthy of such an amazing dressing. I suppose I could just put my vinaigrette over whatever side salad I’ve made for dinner, but where’s the fun in that?
That’s no fun I tell you!
And a bad way to run a food blog since I’ll run out of recipes if I don’t try new things and new combinations.
Anyway, by profession and inclination, I knew I needed a tasty salad and it didn’t take me long to settle on spinach as my green of choice. Not only is spinach a great green for fruit salads, but I had happened to pick up a couple of bunches at the farmer’s market that weekend. Score!
With the spinach in hand, the rest of the salad came together quickly. Salads need to be balanced. And this one needed a balance of sweet and savory, crunchy and creamy, a variety of colors, and a harmony of flavors.
A look in my fridge, on my counter, and in my pantry gave me all the balance I needed! Blueberries and peaches for two layers of sweetness and pops of color. Blue cheese for its salty, savory, creaminess. And my favorite quick and easy Maple Glazed Pecans for crunch and a layer of smoky sweetness.
Skip any of these and you’ll have an okay salad. But we talked about this and just like you wanted the best chicken panini, you want the best salad, right? Of course you do!
This is a dinner salad. A company salad. A ‘I’m worth yummy food even if it’s just me’ salad. And it’s totally a salad you should make now while the spinach is local, the blueberries are bursting with flavor, and the peaches smell like summer.
Before I go, I’d like to mention my new pottery bowl which you can see a little bit in these photos. It’s a cousin to the orange bowl I often use and was made by Sarah Caruso. I love her work and my new bowl. I’ll try to remember to share the story of the first bowl we got next time I use it for photos.
– Happy Salad Making, Annemarie
Peach and Blueberry Spinach Salad
Ingredients
- 6 oz baby spinach, about 6 cups
- 2 peaches, cut into 1/2 inch dice
- 1 cup blueberries
- 1/2 cup glazed pecans
- 4 oz blue cheese, or goat cheese
- Blueberry Vinaigrette, see notes for link
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine baby spinach, peaches , and blueberries. Pour some of the dressing over the salad and toss until greens are well-coated, adding more as needed. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the pecans and crumbled goat cheese over top and serve.
Notes
- Calories are, as always, an estimate. Calories are for the salad only. Dressing calories are separate and depend on what dressing you use.
- I used my Simple Maple Glazed Pecans for the recipe.
- I prefer the blue cheese in the salad, but my husband prefers the goat cheese so feel free to use either. Though I will note that if you like blue cheese in salads, using blue will hit it out of the park.
- Blueberry Vinaigrette
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