Blueberries are one of the lowest-carb fruits that you can eat, and they have the bonus of incredible taste! Blueberries add interest and flavor to this classic chicken dinner salad recipe but keep it low-carb.
Besides being a healthy superfood, blueberries freeze perfectly, making them one of those fruits you can enjoy year-round.
Jump To: RECIPE | Blueberry Rum Popsicles | Berries for Breakfast | Grow Your Own Blueberries
This post may contain affiliate links, and you can read our disclosure information here–
Low-Carb Carb Dinner Salad with Blueberries
While this blueberry chicken salad by itself was filling enough for me as a low-carb summer dinner, my family thinks they need several courses when we sit down at the table. As soon as I put this out I hear, “Is that all we’re having?”…” Well, it looks good for an appetizer”….” I’m starving!”.
So…if you’re making this blueberry dish as dinner for a family like mine that thinks they’re undernourished, you might want to add another side of sorts. I sautéed some summer squash in butter and mint and they were happy and satisfied in the end. It’s also a great dish for a low-carb summer lunch if you don’t like salad for dinner.
Bonus Recipe: Blueberry Rum Popsicles
These blueberry Popsicles (with or without rum) are great fun to take to a party or have outside or at the lake. They’re ever-so-easy, a good way to use up any leftover jam in the fridge, and they keep you cool and happy.
Ingredients & Directions:
- 1 cup blueberry jam
- 2 cups water
- 2 oz. rum
- In a medium saucepan, add about 2 cups of water for every cup of your favorite jam (I used Blueberry Lime Mint), and melt the mixture over low heat. If the jam is fairly sweet you will want to add more water, both to make it taste more like an ice pop, but also to help it freeze better as too much sugar will prevent the Popsicles from freezing solid.
- Cool and pour into Popsicle molds and freeze for 6 hours or until frozen hard.
- For a fun adult Popsicle treat, after the jam mix has melted, add 2 ounces of rum or vodka for every 3 cups of jam mix to the pot before pouring into molds. Just don’t add too much or they won’t freeze as the alcohol will change the freezing point.
- If you don’t have Popsicle molds, place 6-10 Dixie cups in a shallow square pan, cover the tops of the cups with aluminum foil, and poke a Popsicle stick or sturdy stir stick through the foil in the center of each Dixie cup (the foil will hold the sticks upright).
Blueberries for Breakfast
Blueberry smoothies were my kids’ favorite lunch during the summer until they became teenagers and started thinking it was too much like a milkshake and therefore too high in calories.
I make these blueberry protein smoothies now with protein powder and unsweetened coconut milk for myself for my standard low-carb breakfast. And when the adult “kids” are home these days I’ll make one for them also.
Freezing Blueberries
Remember, blueberries freeze very nicely. Just pour them (unwashed) onto a cookie sheet, freeze until solid, and pour into freezer bags for use throughout the year.
Grow Your Own Blueberries in Containers or Garden
Did you know? You can easily grow cucumbers in a container (and of course in your garden). As a long-time gardener growing both ways, my post below can inspire you to try it yourself!
If you have never gardened, (or even if you have), growing vegetables in containers on your deck, balcony, or patio can be surprisingly fun, rewarding, and even meditative. You just may get hooked!
If you like my articles about cooking and gardening, subscribe to my weekly newsletter, where I share free recipes and gardening tutorials.
Chicken & Blueberry Salad
Equipment
- bowls
- box grater Or other grater
- Indoor grill Optional
- large ziplock plastic bags
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- ½ cup white wine vinegar
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ teaspoon salt and 1/2 tsp pepper
- 3 chicken breasts halves
- 2 carrots shredded with grater,
- 2 celery ribs chopped
- ½ cup onion diced
- ½ cup red bell pepper chopped
- 4 cups torn salad greens
- 1 to 1 ½ cups fresh blueberries
Instructions
- Whisk together oil, vinegar and garlic with some salt and pepper and pour into large plastic bag.3 Tbsp olive oil, 1/2 cup white wine vinegar, 2-3 cloves garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 tsp pepper
- Add chicken breasts to bag and massage bag so the marinade covers chicken pieces. Let marinate for about an hour.3 chicken breasts halves
- Remove chicken from marinade and discard marinade. Grill chicken breasts over med-high to high heat for 6-8 minutes on each side, or until done (depends on how thick your chicken breasts are).If you don’t want to grill them, just boil or microwave chicken until break-apart tender.
- Combine carrots, celery, onions and pepper with your favorite salad dressing, tossing to coat.2 carrots, 2 celery ribs, 1/2 cup onion, 1/2 cup red bell pepper
- Place chicken over greens. Top with vegetable/dressing mixture, and sprinkle with berries.4 cups torn salad greens, 1 to 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
Thank you for this great recipe and easy to follow directions