A few nights ago my sister-in-law had a family dinner at her house. We had grilled salmon, grits, sweet potatoes, fresh tomatoes and cucumbers, and a blueberry and mango salad with balsamic and honey dressing.
I found lettuce, fresh blueberries, a mango and some pecans (just waiting to be caramelized) in my kitchen. In minutes I made this delicious salad that was the perfect side 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 (my favorites are: baby spinach, lettuce, or kale). Then I add pumpkin seeds, almonds, pistachios or cashew nuts. The dressing also comes together in minutes. Olive oil, something sour like lemon juice or balsamic vinegar, then fresh garlic, onion, some honey, salt and pepper and you have a 5-star dressing! I hardly ever buy dressing anymore because it can never compete with homemade.
This is the kind of salad you make when you invite your girlfriends over for lunch and serve them alongside Lion house bun and a Dark Chocolate Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookie! To make this salad a main dish, simply add grilled chicken breasts or chop up a prepared roast chicken. This salad also goes well with grilled or smoked salmon!
One kitchen tool I’ve found very helpful with dressing is my hand blender. I love how easy it is to get dressed in a snap with this handy tool. I’ve had mine for over ten years and can’t live without it! Costco also sells hand blenders for the lowest price I’ve seen.
The perfect accompaniment to so many main courses, Blueberry Mango Salad looks beautiful on a buffet table for brunch, lunch or dinner. If you need to make this ahead of time, simply cut up the lettuce and mangoes and store them in separate bags so the lettuce doesn’t collapse! The pecans and dressing can also be made a few days in advance. I hope you love this fresh, easy to make summer salad!
Blueberry Mango Salad with Balsamic Honey Dressing
ingredients
-
1
red leaf lettuce with a large head -
1
fresh mango -
2
cups
fresh blueberries -
1
Cup
pecans -
1/2
Cup
sugar, shared
dressing
-
1/2
Cup
canola oil or light olive oil -
1/4
Cup
Balsamic vinegar (white or regular) -
3-4
tablespoon
honey - pinch of salt
- freshly ground pepper
instructions
Salad:
-
Wash and dry lettuce. Tear or cut the lettuce into bite-sized pieces.
-
Cut the mango into pieces. wash berries. Place all ingredients in a salad bowl.
-
Place the pecans in a Teflon pan over medium-high heat with about 1/3 cup of the sugar. Stir constantly until the sugar begins to melt. Be careful not to burn the pecans. When the sugar has caramelized and coated the pecans, remove from the heat and add the remaining sugar. Sprinkle with salt.
-
Pour the pecans onto a sheet of aluminum foil and let cool. When cool, coarsely chop the pecans.
Dressing:
-
Whisk together the remaining ingredients with a hand blender or hand mixer. Mix half of the dressing with the salad. That makes enough dressing for two salads. Refrigerate any leftovers.
recipe notes
- The dressing can be made up to a week in advance. Once prepared, refrigerate and allow to come to room temperature and puree before serving.
- The pecans can be prepared 1-2 weeks before serving. Store in an airtight container.