Blackberry and Blueberry Kale Salad with Aged Havarti on a white plate surrounded by sliced cheese and a baguette.

Blackberry and Blueberry Kale Salad with Aged Havarti

Blackberry and Blueberry Kale Salad with Aged Havarti – love wine & cheese? Pair them in a summer salad that goes with anything that comes off the grill!

Blackberry and Blueberry Kale Salad with Aged Havarti on a white plate surrounded by sliced cheese and a baguette.
Blackberry and Blueberry Kale Salad with Aged Havarti

If you love wine and cheese as much as I do, you’ll love pairing them together in this Blackberry and Blueberry Kale Salad with Aged Havarti that goes well with anything that comes off the grill. This post is brought to you by Castello cheese.

Blackberry and Blueberry Kale Salad with Aged Havarti on a white plate surrounded by sliced cheese and a baguette.

I have a pair of hoop earrings that I reach for, which suits my less-is-more style (translation: I don’t bother with accessories as much as I wish I would, which means I wear approximately 5% of the jewelry I own). Aside from the fact that these dainty earrings have a unique filigree pattern that matches just about everything, they’re sentimental because they were the earrings I remember my mom reaching for the most — I think of her every time I snap them on, and feel her presence throughout the day.

Needless to say, my mom passed along more than these treasures – I think of her when I see the twinkle in my children’s eyes after riding a roller coaster, when my daughter performs on stage, when my son does a goofy dance, and when they relish the delicacies she used to love. I think of her when we travel and how she was always planning the next adventure. And I think of her when I crave a sliver of cheese.

Havarti cheese, fresh blueberries, blackberries and kale on a rustic surface.

Block of Havarti cheese sliced on a wooden cheese board.

Cheese! My mother and cheese – I can’t even explain this love she had for cheese. It was her weakness at night, more than dessert. Cheese was what she wanted to bring home from vacation, whether it was quesong puti from the Philippines or wheel of Edam from the Netherlands.

Of all the cheeses out there, I think of her most when I taste Havarti. This was her most favorite cheese ever, and because of that, I will always have a special place on my tongue for its salty, sharp character.

Sliced Havarti cheese on a cheese board.

She would have been over the moon when I went up to Napa Valley last month to immerse myself in all things cheese and wine, and I thought of her as I sipped my way through flights and tasted my way through pairings of Castello cheese. I think she would have coaxed me to add more Aged Havarti to my cheese board.

Berry wine dressing in a glass jar.

Blackberry and Blueberry Kale Salad with Aged Havarti on a white plate surrounded by sliced cheese and a baguette.

What I love about Aged Havarti is that it’s a cheese that is bold yet supple – it can complement bright and tangy dressings and balance sweet fruit without getting lost in the shuffle. I thought of her as I took some of the monster blackberries and blueberries and blended them in a dressing with some Napa Cellars Chardonnay and drizzled it over a salad ripe with fruit, candied walnuts and chunks of her beloved Aged Havarti. This Blackberry and Blueberry Kale Salad with Aged Havarti and Berry Wine Dressing would have gone perfectly with the summer meals she used to grill.

Simple. Goes with everything. Just how we both like it.

Blackberry and Blueberry Kale Salad with Aged Havarti on a white plate.

Disclosure: This post is brought to you by Castello cheese. Thank you for supporting brands that matter to me; sponsored posts such as this help behind the scenes at Kitchen Confidante. All opinions in this post are, as always, my own.

MORE SUMMER SALAD RECIPES

Avocado Corn Tomato Salad
Berry Jicama Salad
Summer Lentil Salad
Southwestern Potato Salad
Halloumi Salad with Beets and Blackberries

Blackberry and Blueberry Kale Salad with Aged Havarti

I love the hint of Chardonnay in the berry wine dressing that swirls through each bite of this
Blackberry and Blueberry Kale Salad with Aged Havarti – it’s a salad filled
with bold flavors that still plays nicely with anything that comes off the
grill, making it a great summer side dish.
Course Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 520kcal

Ingredients

  • 6 oz blackberries divided
  • 6 oz blueberries divided
  • 1/4 cup chardonnay
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil divided
  • 3 cups kale stems removed and torn or roughly chopped
  • 1 medium shallot thinly sliced
  • 1 cup mixed greens
  • 1/2 cup walnuts caramelized
  • 6 oz Castello Aged Havarti cheese cut into bite sized cubes
  • Kosher salt to taste
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

  • In the jar of a blender, place 3 oz of the blackberries and 3 oz of the blueberries along with the chardonnay, red wine vinegar, honey, salt and ⅓ cup olive oil, and blend until it becomes emulsified, this will take under a minute. Pass the dressing through a sieve to remove the seeds and set aside. You could make the dressing a day in advance, if you wish, keeping it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It should keep at least 3-5 days.
  • Heat remaining tablespoon olive oil in a small pan over medium-heat. Add the sliced shallots and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes.
  • Assemble the salad by tossing the greens in a large bowl with about ⅓ cup of dressing. Divide the greens between four bowls. Top with the shallots, remaining blackberries and blueberries, caramelized walnuts, and Aged Havarti cheese. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Drizzle a little more dressing on top and serve with additional dressing on the side.

Notes

Make it ahead: Prepare the dressing up to 3-5 days in advance and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Nutrition

Calories: 520kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 783mg | Potassium: 490mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 5585IU | Vitamin C: 76mg | Calcium: 363mg | Iron: 2mg
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Comments

Recipe Rating




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  1. Brian @ A Thought For Food

    Such a gorgeous salad, Liren! I’ve done a pairing with strawberries but now I really need to give blackberries and blueberries a try! And that dressing looks fabulous!

    Reply
  2. Bird

    Absolutely GORGEOUS!! I’m seriously drooling over the photos! Sorry, not sorry! :) Can’t wait to try kale in my salad.

    Reply
  3. VB

    Hello, I agree, your photos are outstanding on every page, especially this one. What sort of camera setup/lighting are you using? Beautiful!

    Reply
  4. kate

    i love cheese but i’ve never tried aged havarti. based on your description, it sounds like i would really like it!

    Reply
    • Liren Baker

      Oh Kate, you have GOT to try aged havarti. So good. The Castello creamy havarti is fantastic, too! I think you will LOVE it.

      Reply
  5. Chris

    First of all, your photos are gorgeous! Secondly, that salad looks delicious – perfect for summer! cheers!

    Reply
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