Summer Sorghum Arugula Salad w/Blueberry Balsamic Dressing
The sticky and humid days of NYC make me just want ice cream. And loads of fresh greens and summery salads. They're kind of the same thing, right?
Truth be told, NYC humid summer days are just like anywhere else that gets hot in the summer in the U.S.-- the only reason that we residents yap on and on about it is the fact that we don't have a car blasting air conditioning to climb into like in most other cities. We walk around everywhere, or clamber in subway cars that are usually air-conditioned but the stations are NOT.
My crazy daily routine as a trainer and blogger has me bopping all over the place with clients sessions, meetings, and events. Because of my schedule, I just always want something easily packable in my backpack and that I can make in advance so that I don't have to pay $15 for a salad (sorry, Sweetgreen, I love you guys but I can't afford you on the regular).
SO on that note. I have TWO exciting things to share with you guys today!
You all know how I'm the Whole Grain Salads editor for feedfeed right (almost at 1 MILLION Instagram followers on there, woohoo!)? Well, tomorrow (Thursday, July 14th!) I will be taking over the feedfeed's Snapchat! I'm going to show you guys what a day in my life in NYC looks like, balancing training, freelancing, and blogging. Get ready to start early, because I'll be up and at 'em at 5:30am when my day starts! Follow along on Snapchat @thefeedfeed.
What can you look forward to seeing? Snaps of my daily training life, a fitness tip or two, favorite eats in NYC that I pass by, then tutorials of two awesome recipes! I will be making my signature Power Green Smoothie Bowl, that I always make post-workout, then this brand new recipe that you guys are looking at right now! A summery sorghum arugula salad with a seasonal blueberry-balsamic dressing is just enough to get my sweet tooth fix along with my cravings for fresh, nutritious produce.
So, I'm assuming that many of you might not have any idea what the heck sorghum is. Sorghum is another ancient gluten-free grain, and you might have seen it being used in flour form for gluten-free baked goodies. It looks like a big brother of millet. It's so versatile, as it can be popped like popcorn, cooked, or ground into flour (check out my grain guide for more).
I decided to use it for this summery fruity salad because it soaks up dressing so well and helps keep a salad from going soggy when in a packed lunch. It's chewy like rice, super hearty, and filling. Quinoa, I love you, but sometimes you can get a little mushy and soggy when packed in a salad with the dressing mixed in.
The salad gets even more summery with fresh summer corn (super cheap and in season now!), a tangy/sweet blueberry-balsamic dressing, a bite of red onion, lovely bitter baby arugula, balanced with the creaminess of feta and pistachios. I adore this blueberry balsamic dressing because it's not too rich yet it feels so decadently sweet and creamy while remaining quite wholesome. It also makes for a gorgeous pinkish-purple hue.
Summer Sorghum Arugula Salad w/Blueberry Balsamic Dressing
Gluten-free, Vegan optional, Nut-free optional
Serves 2
Ingredients
~3 packed cups of baby Arugula
1/2 cup cooked Sorghum (my favorite kind here)
1/2 (or less) small Red Onion, thinly sliced
3/4- 1 cup of fresh Corn
4 tbsp crumbled Feta Cheese (omit if vegan)
1/4 cup Pistachios (omit if nut-free)
for Blueberry Balsamic Dressing (recipe makes about 4-5 servings!)
1 pint of Blueberries
2 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
2 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 tsp Shallot, diced
1 tbsp Honey (use maple syrup or agave if vegan)
Recipe
1. Combine arugula, sorghum, red onion, and corn in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
2. In a food processor, blend 3/4 of the blueberries (reserve 1/4 some to top salad later) with 1/2 of the diced shallots (reserve other half), honey, and balsamic vinegar. Blend until mixture is a smooth consistency, and mixture will be a bit runny at first. With food processor running, drizzle in olive oil to emulsify dressing. Once well-blended, stop food processor and mix in remaining diced shallots. Transfer dressing to airtight jar for storage (can refrigerate for about 5-7 days)
3. Use about 4 tbsp of the blueberry balsamic dressing and mix it into the salad bowl. Once dressing has fully coated the arugula, transfer to serving plate. Sprinkle feta cheese, pistachios, and remaining blueberries, then serve! Salad keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days.
