Berry Blue Salad

Have you ever been to Zupas?  It's a little soup/salad/sandwich chain mostly in the west and I adore it.  When I go back to Utah in the summers I always try to find a time to go, usually with my mom and sisters.  They have a ton of great menu items, but one of my favorites is the Nuts about Berries Salad.  When I came back from Utah a few weeks ago, my husband had stocked the fridge and pantry with all sorts of goodies, including a bunch of berries.  They inspired me to make my own version of Zupa's salad and it turned out delicious.  The sweet juiciness of the berries combined with the creamy tang of the blue cheese is all brought together by the homemade poppy seed dressing.

Berry Blue Salad

Number of Servings: 4
Time to Prepare: 10 minutes

• 1/3 cup slivered almonds
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• pinch of kosher salt

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground dry mustard
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 6 Tbsp canola oil
• 1/2 tsp poppy seeds

• 1/2 cup blackberries
• 1/2 cup blueberries
• 1/2 cup raspberries
• 1/2 cup sliced strawberries
• 1-2 oz blue cheese
• 1 head romaine or leaf lettuce

Combine almonds, sugar, cinnamon, and kosher salt in small saute pan over medium low heat.  Cook and stir until the sugar is melted and almonds are lightly toasted.  Set aside to cool.

In a small bowl, whisk together sugar, salt, ground dry mustard, and onion powder.  Whisk in vinegar and oil until blended.  Stir in poppy seeds.

Place lettuce in a large bowl.  Top with berries, blue cheese, and cinnamon almonds.  Serve with poppy seed dressing.

Source: inspired by Cafe Zupas Nuts about Berries salad
Produce Used: Blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, romaine, leaf lettuce