Pecan Blueberry Salad

Texas Pecan, Spinach and Blueberry Salad

  • 10-14 oz. bag salad-style or baby spinach
  • 1 cup Texas pecan halves (the best are from Bragg’s in Hondo, Texas)
  • 4-6 oz. package pre-crumbled blue cheese
  • 4 oz. package fresh blueberries
  • 1 cup frozen blueberries, blackberries, dewberries, or raspberries
  • 1 cup Girard’s Raspberry vinaigrette or Ken’s Raspberry Pecan vinaigrette dressing
  • 3 Tablespoons sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup oil
  • 1 medium shallot (small light purple onion in crisp brown skin; the layers of onion are VERY thin); if you can’t find the shallot, substitute scant 1/4 cup finely diced red or purple onion

Dressing

For dressing, combine frozen blueberries with raspberry vinaigrette, sugar, salt, oil and shallot in blender on medium high speed until color is violet-purple and blueberries and shallot are minced.

Arrange Salad

To prepare salad, place spinach in large bowl, sprinkle blue cheese across top, add fresh blueberries next and then pecans.  Mix lightly with fingers but don’t try to toss; all the spinach will rise to the top and all the goodies will be at the bottom.  Serve with dressing on the side.  This is a very pretty salad and looks great in a large glass bowl.