Roasted Beet, Mango, and Blueberry Salad with Orange Dill Dressing ~ Plated or Layered in a Jar

Dill is an annual herb whose fragrant, delicate-tasting leaves, also known as dillweed, will enhance a variety of your favorite foods.

Yet dill brings as much to the landscape as it does to the palate. Its finely textured blue-green foliage grows on upright stalks of fountainous stems. In late spring, you may want to cut dill’s chartreuse flowers and use them in a flower arrangement ~ Southern Living

Yesterday I shared my recipe for Orange Dill Vinaigrette Dressing and today I will share a vibrant and delicious salad that I dressed with this flavorful vinaigrette.

Since my latest obsession is Mason Jar Salads, I layered the ingredients into four jars (quart sized) but also wanted to demonstrate that this would make a fantastic plated salad as well. The plated salad that I made was HUGE and my husband Mike devoured it for dinner. This recipe could easily make six jar salads.

I always make sure my salads have a variety of colors and textures.

Roasted Beet, Mango, and Blueberry Salad with Orange Dill Dressing

Ingredients:

Orange Dill Dressing
Savory Quinoa (Recipe to Follow)
Roasted Beets (Instructions to follow)
1 green pepper
Thinly sliced red onion (about 1/2 a medium onion)
2 ripe mango
Pint of blueberries
1 cup of raw almonds (or nut of choice)
8 ounces of Sugar Snap Peas (I bought one package)
Greens (I used romaine and spinach)

Savory Quinoa

2 cups of cooked quinoa (could substitute brown rice, bulgar, wheatberries)
1 cup of chopped celery
1 cup chopped yellow or white onion
1-2 cloves of minced garlic
1 Tablespoon of coconut oil (or cooking oil of your choice)
1 teaspoon of nutmeg
Few leaves of chopped fresh mint
Fresh snipped chives
Salt and pepper to taste
Sautee the onion, celery, and garlic in the coconut oil until they are soft.

Add sauteed vegetables to the bowl of quinoa

Add nutmeg, mint, and chives and stir. Salt and pepper to taste.

I love to add nutmeg to savory dishes because it really adds a depth of flavor. In the summer when I have an abundance of chives and mint in my garden I add them to nearly every dish I make.

Do not to forget to save your beet tops. They are incredible in smoothies or lightly saute and drizzle with olive oil and serve as a side.

Preparing beets can be a bit messy but in my opinion their sweet flavor and silky texture makes them worth the mess. I LOVE the combination of beets and dill so I knew this salad would be a taste pleaser.

The beets that I bought were large so I cut them into many pieces. I scrubbed them well and left the peelings on. If you have smaller beets you can cut in 1/2 or thirds. Once they are done roasting the peels will slide right off. I roasted these beets for 40 minutes at 450 degrees. I opened the oven after 20 minutes and gave them a toss. I let the beets cool before making the salad.

I put the beets in a glass baking dish, add a clove of minced garlic, a Tablespoon of coconut oil, and salt and pepper.

For the Mason Jar Salads I started with two Tablespoons of the Orange Dill dressing (though I found myself adding more dressing when I ate the salad so next time I will add three Tablespoons). I then added a layer of beets and green pepper.
Next a layer of the Savory Quinoa and a few pieces of red onion.
Next a layer of mango and a layer of blueberries.

Next a 1/8 cup of raw almond and a half dozen pea pods.

I then filled the rest of the jar with chopped romaine and spinach.

The plated salad also contained all the above ingredients. While I really enjoyed the combination of the mango with the other flavors, I think that orange segments would also be a lovely addition.

If you are interested in other Mason Jar Salads, here are some of my previous recipes:

Israeli Feast ~ Mason Jar Salad (with Tabouli, Hummus, and Olives)

Classic Salad Bar in a Jar and Waldorf Inspired Slaw

If you are interested in pinning this salad and other recipes, here is a link to my Produce with Amy board.

I hope you enjoy my Orange Dill Vinaigrette Dressing along with this nutrient rich salad. Summer is salad season, and whether it is plated up or layered in a jar, it is a quick, cool, satisfying, and versatile meal. I promise to keep the salad dressing recipes coming. I think that my next dressing will take on a spicy flair and feature cilantro.

Keep filling your plate with a rainbow of fruit and vegetables and reap the benefits of a healthy life. Cheers to summer and thriving! ❤