Carolina Blueberry Salad Recipe

Prepare pecans

Preheat a small skillet over medium heat. Add pecan halves and toast, stirring frequently, until fragrant and slightly darker, about 3–4 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly, then roughly crush with the side of a knife or in a small bowl to bite-sized pieces.

Prepare radishes

Trim radish ends and wash thoroughly. Using a vegetable peeler or mandoline, shave radishes into thin rounds or ribbons. If using rounds, you can stack and halve them for smaller pieces.

Assemble salad

In a large bowl, combine the mixed greens (6 cups), 1 cup fresh blueberries, 4 tbsp golden raisins, and the shaved radish. Gently toss to combine so fruit and greens are evenly distributed.

Add cheese and pecans

Crumble 3 oz bleu cheese over the tossed greens, then sprinkle the toasted, crushed pecans evenly on top. Reserve a small pinch of pecans for garnish if desired.

Make berry purée

In a blender or food processor combine 1 cup fresh blueberries and 1/2 cup raspberries (or mixed berries). Pulse until mostly smooth. If you prefer a smoother vinaigrette, strain the purée through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing with a spoon to extract juice and discard seeds. You should have roughly 3–4 tablespoons of purée/juice concentrated for the dressing.

Emulsify dressing

To the berry purée, add 3 tbsp fresh orange juice, 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice, 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar, 2 tsp honey, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper. Whisk briefly to combine. While whisking continuously (or with the blender on low), slowly stream in 6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil until the dressing is emulsified and slightly thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning — add up to 1/2 tsp more honey for sweetness or a pinch more salt if needed.

Finish and store

Transfer vinaigrette to a jar, cover and refrigerate if not using immediately. Shake well before using. Dressing will keep refrigerated up to 4 days; let come to room temperature and re-whisk or shake before serving.

Dress salad

Right before serving, drizzle about 3–4 tbsp of vinaigrette over the assembled salad (adjust to taste), then gently toss to coat. Plate the salad, garnish with the reserved pecan pinch and an extra few blueberries if desired. Serve immediately.