Blueberry Cucumber Summer Salad with Creamy Balsamic Vinaigrette.
You are going to fall in love with this blueberry summer salad!
I’m pretty sure this is the quickest turn around I’ve ever done in testing and photographing a recipe for you! But after posting this salad on my instagram stories last weekend, there were so many requests for the recipe. So here I am!
Funnily enough, I already have another berry salad coming your way. I was planning on sharing it this week but will wait until we are closer to the 4th of July. That salad is also incredible! They both shine in their own special ways.
I speak of my recipes like they are my children, right?
I threw together this salad last weekend when we celebrated my mom’s birthday and it was SO good. It’s similar to my simple fall salad and simple winter salad in that it’s a little fancier (fancy for me apparently = fruit + nuts, haha) than a traditional house salad, but it’s still easy and classic enough that it can go with anything. It can be served before a meal or can be eaten as a light lunch or dinner, of course.
It’s so summery, refreshing and crispy.
We have:
A big old bunch of spring greens. But of course, you can use your favorite variety of greens!
Fresh blueberries that are getting SO good right now.
Fresh cucumber for a refreshing punch.
Thinly sliced scallions, because they add the perfect bite without being way too onion-y.
Parmesan cheese, because cheese is liiiife.
And sugared almonds which add this granola-like crunch and a hint of sweetness.
Oh! Plus a creamy balsamic.
I never even thought I liked a creamy balsamic until I made this. I served the salad with a bottled creamy balsamic last week and it was super good, so I figured that I had to make my own. While this might mark salad dressing #634 on this website, it’s a good one! A traditional one that can go on many salads, one that won’t be discarded when a new season rolls around and one that everyone will love.
The key to the creamy balsamic is to add a little heavy cream into the dressing. I’ve made so many dressings with yogurt and mayo and yes, that’s a possibility here. But it never fails that the yogurt or mayo separates and almost curdles in the dressing after it sits for a while. With the heavy cream, this never happens! You still have to shake it up or stir it well, but it won’t get all weird on you.
I love this salad so much that it kind of reminds me of caprese, in a way. Not the flavors of course, but more in the simplicity. There aren’t many days out of the year where I would consider tomatoes and mozzarella a meal, except for the few weeks where our tomatoes are UNREAL here in Pennsylvania.
This salad is like that. Blueberries, cucumbers and almonds. Easy enough to throw together but also seriously amazing when the fruit is in season. it will be a new fave!
Blueberry Summer Salad
Blueberry Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup sliced almonds
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 8 cups spring greens, baby spinach or your greens of choice
- salt and pepper
- 4 baby seedless cucumbers, thinly sliced
- 4 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 cup blueberries
- ¼ cup finely grated parmesan cheese
creamy balsamic vinaigrette
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons honey
- pinch of salt and pepper
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh chives
Instructions
- Place the almonds in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Stir in the sugar and cook, stirring often, until the sugar melts and is caramely, coating all of the almonds - about 6 to 8 minutes. Don’t take your eyes off of this as they can burn quickly! Transfer the almonds to a piece of parchment paper to let them cool. Break them into pieces if they are clumped.
- In a large bowl, toss the greens with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Sprinkle on the blueberries, cucumbers, green onions and parmesan cheese. Add the almonds on top. Serve immediately with the balsamic dressing!
creamy balsamic vinaigrette
- Whisk together the vinegar, garlic, cream, mustard, honey and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stream in the olive oil while whisking until emulsified. Stir in the chives. Serve with your favorite salad! This dressing stays great in the fridge. Just shake or whisk it to combine before serving.
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59 Comments on “Blueberry Cucumber Summer Salad with Creamy Balsamic Vinaigrette.”
Only tweaked it a teeny bit (didn’t have a few ingredients-sugared pecans for almonds, 1/2 and 1/2 for heavy cream, plain mustard for Dijon)) but this recipe was a hit at our home. Thanks.
Very good salad. Will definitely make again.
Simply delicious! I took this to a party and it was a huge hit. I added a little less chopped green onion and didn’t add the cream to the dressing (the cream is not needed in my opinion). The candied almonds really make this salad so don’t skip adding them.