It takes a lot for us to be wowed by a salad, but the Maine-Iac salad from Freshies Lobster in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah is a salad that you won’t just order once. Made with fresh greens, plump blueberries, local Seahive cheese, maple pecans, and a maple balsamic dressing you’re going to fall head over heels for this blueberry pecan salad.
Blueberry Pecan Salad (AKA the Maine-Iac Salad)
Inspired by Freshies, this recipe is our homemade take on their delectable and refreshing Maine-Iac salad. Take the few extra minutes to make your maple pecans and dressing. Perfect for a side dish or gathering, or you could definitely add grilled chicken to make it a complete meal.
More Killer Salad Recipes
- Cafe Madriz Spinach Salad
- Chelsea’s Kitchen Kale & Quinoa Salad
- Nomad East Wedge Salad
- Grilled Peach Salad
Blueberry Pecan Salad with Maple Balsamic
This Blueberry Pecan salad is made with fresh blueberries, sharp cheese, candied pecans, and a homemade maple balsamic dressing.
Ingredients
Maple Pecans
- 1½ cups pecan halves
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of cayenne (optional)
Maple Balsamic Dressing
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon whole-grain or dijon mustard
- Fresh cracked pepper and salt to taste
Salad
- 5 oz. mixed greens
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- 1.5-2 oz. Seahive cheese, crumbled (see notes)
Instructions
Maple Pecans
- In a large nonstick pan, heat the pecan halves, syrup, salt, and cayenne if using over medium-low heat, tossing ingredients together frequently. Cook pecans and syrup until syrup has transformed into a deep brown color and the sugars have begun to really adhere to the pecans, about 7-12 minutes. Be careful not to burn. You should see small strands of sugar form as you toss the pecans over the pan. If you haven’t seen this yet, be patient and keep cooking- if you remove the pecans from heat prematurely you’ll end up with a soft and sticky end result.
- Once the sugar strands begin to form, remove from heat and pour maple-coated pecans on a sheet of parchment paper. Let cool and then chop coarsely.
Maple Balsamic Dressing
- Combine the olive oil, maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, and mustard in a jar or small bowl with a fork or whisk until combined and smooth. Add a few cranks of salt and fresh cracked pepper and whisk again. Taste and add more salt or pepper if needed.
Salad Assembly
- In a large bowl, lay the mixed greens, then the chopped maple pecans, then the fresh blueberries, and finally the crumbled cheese. Serve with dressing on the side, or toss dressing with salad just before serving.
Notes
*Freshies uses an amazing cheese for their Maine-Iac salad called Seahive cheese. It is made by Beehive Cheese in Utah and if you have access to it we highly recommend using it in this salad. Other great substitutes would be another firm cheese that resembles a cross between a cheddar and parm. We made this salad with Beecher’s Flagship cheese, or a pecorino romano or even a parm would work fantastically. To crumble over your salad with a fork, hold the cheese tight in one hand and scrape away at it with the fork in the other.
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