My recipe for Blueberry Cobb Salad with Roasted Blueberry Chipotle Dressing was entered in the 2016 #BlueberryToss Recipe Contest as part of the Food Wine Conference. I received no compensation for this post. All opinions are my very own.
I love salads that are chock full of goodies that serve more like a meal than a small appetizer. Any variation on the Cobb Salad or chopped salad are my favorites. A salad presented on a large platter also makes it more sumptuous and great for sharing.
Adding fresh blueberries to this salad adds brightness and a touch of sweetness and is a great complement to the goat cheese. Blueberries are a superfood high in antioxidants and rich in essential vitamins. And for the dressing, I had to roast those plump little berries! I also added a little heat to give it a little kick. The dressing is not overpowering and is excellent especially with chicken and goat cheese.
Why the couscous? Well, chopped and Cobb salads always remind me of the Korean bibimbap – a traditional rice bowl dish that is filled with meat and seasoned vegetables. The bowl is served with the fixings arranged very neatly, but is then mixed together with a spicy and tangy red pepper paste before being eaten! The couscous is my nod to one of my favorite Korean dishes and is the “rice” in this mixed salad!
Blueberry Cobb Salad with Roasted Blueberry Chipotle Vinaigarette #BlueberryToss #FWCon
Ingredients
- For the Dressing:
- 1 cup fresh blueberries rinsed and drained
- 1 teaspoon white granulated sugar
- 1/8 cup rice wine vinegar or champagne vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1-2 tablespoons chopped chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- For the Salad:
- 1 5- ounce box of baby spinach
- 6 ounces of crumbled goat cheese
- 4-6 slices thick cut bacon chopped and cooked
- 1 avocado halved and sliced
- 3-4 thin chicken cutlets cooked and sliced
- 1 cup cooked pearl or Israeli coucous
- 3-4 ounces fresh blueberries
- 2-3 scallions thinly sliced
- 1 handful of toasted sunflower kernels
- 7-8 basil leaves thinly sliced or chiffonade
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 4oo degrees F. In a medium-sized bowl, toss the blueberries with the sugar until evenly coated. Spread the blueberries out on a parchment lined rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 15 minutes. Let cool.
- In a blender, add blueberries, vinegar, chipotle pepper, and lemon juice. Cover and pulse a couple times. Add olive oil and pulse until blended. Add salt to taste. Store in a sealed jar refrigerated for up to a few days.
- To assemble the salad - on a large platter, cover the entire platter with a layer of spinach. Then working from the center out, spread the goat cheese in a 3-inch section. Then spread the bacon out in a 3-inch section on one side. Fan out the avocado on the other side of the cheese. Fan out the chicken slices next to the bacon and spread out the couscous next to the avocado. Spread the blueberries evenly over the cheese. Next, evenly scatter the following ingredients over the entire platter - scallions, sunflower kernels, and basil.
- Serve with the dressing.
Wish Farms is a Platinum sponsor for the Food Wine Conference and is sponsoring this awesome recipe contest. Here is more information on the #BlueberryToss recipe contest.
Wish Farms is a leading blueberry supplier, sourcing the highest quality berries. Follow Wish Farms on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram. Be sure to take a look at our special Pinterest board for this contest where you will find even more great salad recipes with blueberries!
This will be my fourth year attending the Food Wine Conference since its inception in 2013 . It will be a 3-day conference packed with amazing speakers and sessions. Did I tell you that Donatella Arpaia is the keynote speaker? I’m SUPER excited to hear her speak! I’m looking forward to seeing old friends and making new ones!
If you’re a blogger or just have a passion for food and cooking, this is the conference to attend! It is being held at Rosen Shingle Creek in sunny Orlando, Florida from May 13th to the 15th. To register, click here. You can also follow the hashtag #FWCon on your social media accounts for all things Food Wine Conference!
