The 6 Best Vegetables To Go With Blueberries
I’ve written quite a few articles about blueberries and why not? They taste great, go well with almost any type of smoothie and they have beneficial antioxidants and health properties. Thinking about extending their use even more, you may ask, what vegetable goes with blueberries?
Vegetables that goes with blueberries include asparagus, broccoli, kale, spinach, carrot and pumpkin. These vegetables with blueberries can be used to make salads, smoothies, muffins and cakes.
In this article, we’ll be talking about what vegetables go well with blueberries. I’ll inform you whether or not it’s best to use it as a salad, muffins, cakes, smoothies or a combination. In addition, a perfect pie with blueberries right at the end. Therefore, keep reading, and you won’t be disappointed.
Smoothie Tip: Try adding cucumber to your next smoothie, you’ll be surprised! In addition, adding frozen fruit, instead of ice, enhances the flavor and nutrient content. The secret to an easy smoothie is having a blender powerful enough to handle the frozen workload.
The 6 Best Vegetables That Are Great With Blueberries
There are various ways in which you can use fruits and vegetables together. In particular, this article discusses what vegetables go really well with blueberries. The three main ways of preparing blueberries with vegetables are as follows:
- Baking
- Salads
- Smoothies
When we’re talking about using blueberries with vegetables in a salad, it’s salads where a specific vegetable is the focal point of the salad.
Therefore, the following is the 6 best vegetables to go with blueberries.
1. Asparagus
Asparagus salad can be one of the nicest salads you ever have. It is especially great when you add a little bit of balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. However, adding in a handful of blueberries can completely change the dynamic of these flavors.
When it comes to dressing, you want to go with something light but flavorful. Squeezing a little bit of lemon juice is the best way to dress up this type of salad.
When it comes to nutrients, asparagus will not disappoint. They are particularly high in vitamin A, vitamin K, Folate, Iron and fiber 1. Unfortunately, asparagus goes bad pretty fast. I wrote a whole blog post on storing asparagus which you can check out right here, This Is How Long You Can Keep Fresh Asparagus.
2. Broccoli
Broccoli is a diverse vegetable you can use in a wide range of different styles of cooking. You can boil, roast, fry, bake or steam them and use in Asian style cooking.
However, when you want to add blueberries with broccoli, the best way is to do it in a broccoli salad. The best thing to add to a broccoli salad is your normal garden greens. Depending on your taste, green beans are another great addition.
If you want to mix up the flavors, consider adding a handful of blueberries to your broccoli salad.
Typically, a great dressing for this type of salad is a homemade blue cheese salad dressing. However, to make a healthier salad, I prefer balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil with some blue cheese sprinkled in.
Broccoli contains a whopping 135% of the daily recommenced amount of vitamin C. In addition, it has a high percentage of vitamin K and folate 2.
3. Kale
Kale, this vegetable has become a phenomenon over the last decade. It’s known as one of the healthiest foods you can eat. It’s served in most high-end restaurants and ones that cater to vegans and vegetarians. Kale has become so popular you can buy kale chips/crisps. Many people are using it instead of spinach.
Kale can make for a great salad when used as a key ingredient. When making a kale salad, the best way is with a little bit of feta cheese and some baby tomatoes cut in half. Finally, add a little bit of lemon drizzle over it.
When you add blueberries to a kale salad, you’re making a health powerhouse of a salad. With all the cleansing and antioxidant properties of both kale and blueberries, this salad is highly beneficial. A kale salad with blueberries is something I recommend for everyone who is health-conscious.
Another way to enjoy kale and blueberries together is in a smoothie. I typically mix green kale juice, frozen blueberries and strawberries into a high-speed blender.
If you’re looking to consume extra vitamin A, vitamin C or vitamin K look no further than kale 3. One cup of kale contains the following:
- Vitamin A – 206% of the RDV (recommended daily value)
- Vitamin C – 134% of the RDV
- Vitamin K – 684% of the RDV
Many people ask how much kale they should eat. Find out in my article, This is How Much Kale You Should Eat Per Day.
4. Spinach
Spinach is very similar to kale in the ways it gets used. Spinach offers most of the same benefits as kale in terms of health properties. Finally, Spinach is usually boiled and added to dishes that have some form of pita bread.
A popular way to use spinach as a key ingredient is in salads. One thing that you want to avoid when making a spinach salad is using many regular garden greens. In addition, as with kale, try adding a little bit of feta cheese.
A spinach salad should be simple as that’s the traditional way of making it. Consider using ingredients like cucumbers, tomato and lemon. Another great thing to do is to add a little bit of whole-wheat couscous. Don’t add much, just enough to give the salad a little bit of substance.
Drizzle a little bit of lemon juice and top it off with some blueberries 4. Much like with the kale salad, you create a powerhouse of a healthy salad.
In addition, spinach goes with blueberries into a smoothie. I use green spinach juice and frozen blueberries along with many other healthy items, like ground flaxseed and wheat germ.
Spinach contains a high percentage of vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K and folate 5.
5. Carrot
Carrot is another diverse vegetable which can be used in salads, as a standalone vegetable and in baking. Typically, most people don’t use blueberries with carrots in a salad. However, here’s how to use carrots and blueberries to create other beautiful flavored dishes.
When baking a carrot cake or carrot muffin, one of the best things you can do is to slice a few blueberries into your cake and muffin mixtures 6.
Most coffee shops that sell deserts, offer carrot cakes and muffins. In addition, they sell blueberry muffins. Therefore, it’s strange finding a cake or muffin with both blueberries and carrots. You might have to do this one at home which shouldn’t be a problem because baking can be really fun. In addition, you can use healthier ingredients.
Another way to combine them is in a smoothie. I often make an all day smoothie on days I don’t have time to stop and eat. I combine the following ingredients:
- Carrot juice
- Frozen blueberries
- Frozen strawberries
- Organic greek yogurt
- Kiwi
- Tofu
- Ground flaxseed
- Wheat germ
- Small banana
- Pomegranate juice
- Green vegetable juice
- Organic plant based protein powder
This smoothie is a nutritional powerhouse and isn’t lacking in any category.
Carrots have a ton of vitamin A. In addition, it has a good amount of vitamin C, potassium and fiber 7. All three are beneficial for health and blood pressure.
6. Pumpkin
Blueberries and pumpkins may sound a little weird. Not really when you use them to bake with. Every body has heard of pumpkin pie, pumpkin cake, bread, muffins and cupcakes. You could use blueberries in all of those dishes but there are three which stand out for me.
When you add blueberries to pumpkin bread, cake or muffin, you can honestly transform these dishes. You’ll end up with a robust set of flavors and textures.
Just like its orange cousin, the carrot, pumpkin is loaded with vitamin A. In addition, it has vitamin C and potassium 8.
Bonus: Lemon Meringue Blueberry Pie
Ok, so this has to be a bonus section because technically, a lemon is classified as a fruit because it contains seed. However, many people don’t see lemons as a fruit.
Therefore, I felt that it was best to add it to this article but unfortunately, I could not add it to my list.
Whether you are making a normal lemon meringue or a lemon meringue pie, try topping it with blueberries. This will turn it into one of the best lemon meringue pies you’ve ever eaten!
I never like to make absolute statements like that, but everybody loves lemon meringue and most of us enjoy blueberries. When you add lemon and blueberry together, it’s phenomenal 9.
Wrapping Up The Best Vegetables With Blueberries
Don’t be afraid to experiment with different types of food and different ways of cooking. The suggestions inn this article aren’t the only combinations you can use or invent.
You might stumble upon something that has never been done before and it might taste great. In fact, this happens to people more often than not. This is why you’ll find many people with their own little secret recipes. Start building your own and show them off to your family and friends.
Read Next – More Blueberry Articles!
Can You Store Blueberries and Strawberries Together?
Strawberries vs Blueberries: Which is Better? A Comparison
Can You Store Blueberries in Tupperware?
Can You Store Blueberries and Strawberries Together?
How to Choose Good Blueberries: The Complete Guide
Do Organic Blueberries Have Worms?
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- NutritionData: Asparagus[↩]
- NutritionData: Broccoli[↩]
- NutritionData: Kale[↩]
- Fruits & Veggies: Top 10 ways to Enjoy Blueberries[↩]
- NutritionData: Spinach[↩]
- U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council: Breakfast & Bread Recipes[↩]
- NutritionData: Carrots[↩]
- NutritionData: Pumpkins[↩]
- U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council: Blueberry Lemon Mini Muffins[↩]