Mealtime Magic: Blueberry Almond Salad

Reprinted courtesy of My Pinewood Kitchen: A Southern Culinary Cure/130+ Crazy Delicious, Gluten-Free Recipes to Reduce Inflammation and Make Your Gut Happy

Blueberry Almond Salad
Makes 4 servings

Blueberries are truly one of the best things we can all eat a couple of times per week. We make this salad at least once a week when blueberries are in season. Folks are always super impressed, and I tell them this is the most delicious dressing you will ever make. I love adding leftover quinoa to salads because it gives it something extra in terms of taste, texture, and nutrition. You can also skip the goat cheese and chicken and toss in cooked chickpeas and apple slices. YUM!

FOR THE DRESSING:
1⁄2 cup fresh blueberries

1⁄4 cup rice vinegar

1 teaspoon lemon zest

4 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons local honey* (*If watching sugar, use an equivalent amount of stevia)
3⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil Sea salt (to taste)
Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

FOR THE SALAD:
6 cups mixed greens
11⁄2 cups fresh blueberries
1⁄4 cup finely sliced red onions
1⁄2 cup toasted almonds
2 grilled chicken breasts, chopped (optional)**
1⁄2 cup cooked quinoa (optional)
1⁄4 cup goat cheese or almond cheese, crumbled

Substitutions:
*If meat free, replace with sliced avocado.

Place the dressing ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
In a medium bowl, toss together the greens, blueberries, onions, almonds, chicken (if using), and quinoa (if using). Top with the cheese and drizzle with the dressing. Serve immediately.


Mee McCormick is a rising Southern culinary and wellness innovator, restaurateur, author, TV cooking personality, farmer, rancher, wife and mother. She splits her time between Nashville and nearby Nunnelly, Tennessee; a tiny, unincorporated community in Hickman County, which is also home to her biodynamic farm and restaurant Pinewood Kitchen & Mercantile.

Mee authored her first cookbook My Kitchen Cure, which led to wild success and a book deal with HCI for her second cookbook My Pinewood Kitchen, published on April 14, 2020. She frequently appears on Today in Nashville, and she participates in nationally-recognized food festivals and events, spreading the same level of care and hospitality to audiences everywhere that she has become known for throughout the state of Tennessee. Visit: www.meemccormick.com or www.pinewoodkitchenandmercantile.com.