I’ve been craving a big dinner salad ever since last week. When I’m finishing up a book it picks my meals for me – especially when both my freezers are chocked full of all the goodies I made to photograph. No room means it’s lunch or dinner for the night.
This week things are lightening up and I’m more in control of my meals. Plus I wanted to enter the #BlueberryToss #FWCon contest and had some great blueberries on hand.
This salad has blueberries in the BBQ sauce, the dressing, and scattered on top of the salad. About now, you’re asking yourself why you can’t find the fresh blueberries in the photos. Well, it’s all my fault! I had them on the counter “saved” for the salad when I decided I had more in the fridge. Once I ate them all and looked into the fridge I realized the mistake I made.
I used my cute little OXO salad dressing shaker
Blueberry Whiskey BBQ Salad with Tempeh and Roasted Potatoes
There are a few components you need to make for this salad, but believe me it's all worth it. Plus it's easier than it seems. You make your own Blueberry Whiskey BBQ Sauce that you coat the tempeh in and make a dressing from. You'll also roast some smoky potatoes and chop a few of your favorite veggies. You can even do all of this ahead of time - even the day before!
Ingredients
- 8 cups spring greens or lettuce leaves
- 2 cups blueberries
Vegetable Options
- 1 cucumber, chopped
- 1/2 red onion chopped
- 1 large ripe tomato, chopped
Find the recipes below
- 1 recipe Blueberry Whiskey BBQ Sauce
- 1 recipe Blueberry Balsamic Salad Dressing
- 1 recipe Blueberry Whiskey BBQ Tempeh
- 1 recipe Smoky Potatoes
Instructions
Assemble the salads or set up a table to be your own salad bar!
- First, make a base of greens then layer ¼ of the Blueberry Whiskey BBQ Tempeh and Smoky Potatoes on top of each salad.
- Then put on the vegetable extras and fresh blueberries. Serve dressing on the side or drizzle over the top.
Blueberry Whiskey BBQ Sauce
The sauce is a little sweet, a little tangy, and has a ton of flavor!
Ingredients
- 1 medium dried whole ancho chili, stem and seeds removed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (or dry saute to make oil-free)
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 6 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 cups blueberries
- 1/2 cup whiskey or bourbon
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/3 cup brown or coconut sugar
- 1/4 cup blackstrap molasses
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
Instructions
- Toast the ancho chili pepper in the saucepan over medium heat until it becomes brittle and fragrant. Set aside for later.
- Heat the olive oil in the saucepan over medium heat. Once hot add the onion and saute until it's translucent. Then add the garlic and saute another 2 minutes.
- Add the blueberries, whiskey, vinegar, sugar, mollasses, tomato paste, and the toasted ancho chili. Simmer over medium low heat until the ancho chili pieces are reconstituted and soft.
- Carefully pour the hot mixture into your blender and add in the salt and liquid smoke. Blend until silky smooth.
- Pour the blended mixture back into the saucepan and simmer over low until the sauce is thick and the sauce has reduced to about 2 cups.
Blueberry Balsamic Salad Dressing
Here's another use for the Blueberry Whiskey BBQ Sauce. Use it to make a super-quick vinaigrette dressing. You can leave out the olive oil to make it oil-free.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup Blueberry Whiskey BBQ Sauce from recipe above
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to a salad shaker or a mason jar. Twist on the lid tight and shake until the ingredients incorporate. You could also whisk them together, but I'm too lazy for that 😉
Blueberry Whiskey BBQ Tempeh and Smoky Roasted Potatoes
You bake these on separate sheet pans to make quick work of this. The tempeh is coated in the Blueberry Whiskey BBQ Sauce and the potatoes are tossed in smoked paprika, salt, pepper and the optional olive oil if using.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Spread parchment paper on 2 sheet pans (or spray with oil).
- Toss the potatoes with smoked paprika, salt and pepper, plus olive oil, if using. Then spread on one of the sheet pans and place on the bottom rack of the oven. Set the timer for 15 minutes.
- Next, toss the tempeh in the Blueberry Whiskey BBQ Sauce and spread on the second sheet pan, and place on the top rack of the oven. This probably will take about 5 minutes, so you can let the tempeh cook for 10 minutes using the same timer as the potatoes.
- When the timer goes off, take the potatoes out and turn them over. Then when you open the oven to put the potatoes back in and set the timer for 15 minutes again. Then take the tempeh out and turn the pieces over and place back in the oven.
- Remove both sheet pans when the timer goes off. You can serve on your salad immediately or wait until they cool if you have a thing about wilted lettuce like Cheryl does.
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