Fruit and Flowers Arugula Salad with Sunflower Butter Dressing

For most people, the only flowers that ever end up on their table are part of decorative centerpiece. But what those people are missing is that many types of flowers are not only edible, but also quite tasty. One of the easiest ways to start enjoying them is to simply toss them on a fresh salad. Here we partner them arugula and fresh blueberries, strawberries, and longans, and top them with a creamy sunflower butter dressing. Slices of fresh sunchoke add a bit of crunch.

The dressing was born from Chele’s unceasing quest to create foods that are safe for her myriad dietary restrictions (Celiac, EoE, lactose-intolerance, nightshade sensitivity, to name a few) and her obsession with all things creamy. The sweet/savory contrast of the sunflower butter and maple syrup against the garlic and shallot pepper makes a wonderful complement to the sweetness of the fruit and sharpness of the arugula.

Print Recipe

Fruit and Flowers Arugula Salad with Sunflower Butter Dressing

Edible flowers add both color and flavor to this light, refreshing salad. The savory/sweet Sunflower Butter Dressing makes a wonderful complement to the sweetness of the fruit and sharpness of the arugula. This recipe is free of gluten, dairy, nuts, and nightshades, and is also vegan-friendly.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Total Time10 minutes mins

Course: Salad

Servings: 2 servings

Author: Gastricurious

Ingredients

Dressing:

• 3 Tbs sunflower butter
• Juice of 2 small lemons
• 2 tsp pure maple syrup
• 5 cloves of garlic (finely minced)
• 1 Tbs shallot pepper
• 1/4 cup avocado oil
• 1/4 cup water

Salad:

• 4 cups baby arugula
• 1/2 cup red cabbage ,shredded
• 2 small sunchokes ,raw and thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup strawberries , sliced
• 1/4 cup blueberries
• 1/4 cup longans , peeled, halved, and pitted
• 1/4 cup assorted edible flowers (such as pansies, violets, and borage)

Instructions

• Combine all dressing ingredients in a small mixing bowl and whisk together until fully blended. Set aside.
• Toss together arugula and shredded red cabbage. Divide evenly among serving dishes.
• Evenly divide berries, longans, and sunchokes between servings. Drizzle with dressing and scatter flowers over the top before serving.

Notes

• Choose milder-flavored flowers for this salad. We used a blend of pansy, violets, and borage here, but other good choices would include snapdragons, pea blossoms, and clover. Strongly-flavored flowers like marigolds can be used, but they might overpower the other flavors.
• Speaking of choosing flowers, be sure you are using unsprayed, food-grade blossoms from the produce department, a local farmers’ market, or from your own garden. Flowers from the garden center or floral counter of your local supermarket or home improvement store are going to be loaded with pesticides – don’t eat those!
• Longans are an Asian fruit related to lychees and rambutans. They are very sweet with a somewhat chewy texture that works nicely in this salad. Look for fresh longans in Asian markets or in supermarkets that carry a diverse array of produce (here in the Chicago area, we frequently find them at Tony’s Fresh Market). They are also available canned in syrup.
• Sunchokes are the starchy roots of a variety of sunflower (also known as a “Jerusalem artichoke”}, and can be used in many of the same ways as potatoes. They are starting to become more common in supermarkets with a large produce department, and are most likely to be encountered from later winter through spring.