I love summer. I love the ease of our days, heading to the beach and pool, warm weather, wearing flip flops every day and so much more. Perhaps one of my favorite parts of summer is all the great local fresh produce.
Last week some of my girlfriends and I, plus all of our kids, went strawberry picking. To me, no other strawberries compare to fresh picked Michigan strawberries. My kids and I picked 11 pounds.
It seemed like a lot of strawberries but by the time I froze some and gave a pound to my mom, we had about 3 pounds left. My four kids and I can easily demolish that many strawberries in a week. I knew I had to make one of my all-time favorite salads before all of our strawberries disappeared.
This salad is light, refreshing but very satisfying. I eat it most often for lunch, but it can be made into a full meal by adding some grilled chicken on top. The Dijon Balsamic Vinaigrette is great for all types of salad. It’s tangy with a hint of sweet.
Another great way to use the salad dressing is to use it for a marinade for chicken or fish. It gives the meat such a great flavor without overpowering it. Give it a try! I also like to use this dressing on Greek style salads, especially ones with Feta cheese on them. YUM!!!!
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Start by washing the spinach. Pat it dry with a paper towel. Wash the blueberries and strawberries as well. Slice the strawberries and set them aside.
Place 1/4 c. almonds in a small frying pan over medium-low heat. When you start to smell the almonds they are toasted enough. Watch them closely as they can go from nicely toasted to burnt very quickly.
In a 2 cup measuring cup combine the balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard and Truvia. Whisk until the ingredients are just combined. Slowly whisk in the 1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.
Place the desired amount of spinach, strawberries and blueberries on each plate. Top with 2 T. of the toasted almonds. Try to resist eating them while you’re making the salads. 😉 Lightly drizzle dressing over the salad. Enjoy this taste of summer all year long!
Very Berry Salad Dijon Balsamic Vinaigrette
Yield 4 servings
Ingredients
- 8 oz. spinach (can substitute Romaine lettuce)
- 1/2 c. blueberries
- 1 c. strawberries, sliced
- 1/4 c. almonds, lightly toasted and chopped
Dijon Balsamic Vinaigrette
- 1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
- 3 T. Dijon mustard (if you like your dressing to have a strong mustard flavor, use 4 T.)
- 1 1/8 t. THM Super Sweet Blend or other stevia-based sweeteners, make sure you taste as you go (If you are not eating THM, use 1 T. honey)
- 1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
- sea salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Wash spinach, blueberries, and strawberries. Slice the strawberries.Place 1/4 c. almonds in a small frying pan over medium-low heat. When you start to smell the almonds they are toasted enough. Watch them closely as they can go from nicely toasted to burnt very quickly.
- Combine balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard and Truvia in a small bowl. Whisk until ingredients are just combined.
- Slowly whisk in the 1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.
- Lightly drizzle dressing over the salad.
Notes
***Unused dressing will keep in the refrigerator for up to one week.
This sounds and looks amazing! I am 7 months along in my pregnancy and trying to stay on THM as much as I can. I crave salads so this will be lunch tomorrow! Thanks for the great recipe! ~ Jamie
I often am not impressed by homemade dressings, but this did not disappoint!
This looks delicious! Can you substitute pine nuts or sunflower seeds for almonds?
Yes you could use either.
Thank you! I am going to make this for lunch this week.
Can you use other berries in place of the blueberries?
Yes. Blackberries or raspberries would work great.
Thanks for the fast reply.