Can you think of a better lunch than a delicious and healthy Blueberry Vinaigrette Summer Salad made with a homemade salad dressing from fresh blueberries?

I can’t get enough summer produce. I only go to the farmer’s market once a week and I’m thinking I need to start making that trip twice a week. What’s been happening is that I buy so much amazing produce – including all the fruits and veggies I use in this salad like the greens, blueberries, asparagus, and sugar snap peas (all locally grown organically) – that we eat nothing but produce on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday when I arrive home from the market. By Wednesday all of it is either gone or starting to turn, and come Thursday, Friday, and Saturday I’m digging through my pantry for dinner. Nope. I must start making bi-weekly trips to the farmer’s market!

I through the salad above with the items I had in my refrigerator. I had bought a bundle of asparagus and blanched it in boiling water for just a minute and then transferred it to an ice water bath to stop the cooking. If you’ve never done this, its a quick and easy way to ever-so-slightly cook your asparagus and make it vibrant green. I’ve also been snacking on as many sugar snap peas as I can find, but they are also a great addition to salads. I always toss in some cheese and feta is a healthy choice that adds creaminess. Also, during the summer, I almost always incorporate fruit. But there was one thing missing – nuts. I love nuts in my salads because of the added crunch but also because they make me feel full longer.

I recently partnered with Diamond of California and picked up these four Shake & Spoon containers (you can find them at Target). Those of you who know me know that I live in Portland, Oregon, but I’m a California girl at heart and I grew up eating these nuts. I love these little containers with their dual flip tip lid for shaking or spooning, especially for things like salads or oatmeal (and on top of ice cream sundaes, of course). They are premium quality, raw unsalted nuts – my favorite kind! Bonus – all 4 varieties Non-GMO Project Certified.

Now all the salad needed was an amazing dressing. Once you start making your own homemade dressings, you’ll never want to go back to store bought versions. This one, along with my strawberry basil vinaigrette, is filled with nothing but healthy wholesome ingredients that you can feel good about eating.

The vinaigrette might be a tad thicker than what you’re used to. If you prefer a thinner dressing, just add equal parts of white balsamic and olive oil to thin it out.

I can honestly say this was my most favorite salad so far this summer, but its only June which leaves a couple of months to go above and beyond!

Ingredients

Vinaigrette:

1 cup fresh blueberries
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons high quality olive oil
1 shallot (minced)
1-2 sprigs of parsley and/or basil
1/4 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper

Summer salad:

greens
blanched asparagus
sugar snap peas
feta cheese
fresh blueberries
Diamond slivered almonds

Instructions

To make vinaigrette, combine all ingredients in blender. Process until smooth.
Makes enough for four small salads.
To make salad, pile as much or as little of the salad ingredients listed above according to preference in a large bowl and top with vinaigrette.

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Blueberry Vinaigrette Summer Salad