Summer Dinner Salad with Chicken
On the hottest days of summer this quick and easy salad makes for a tasty, filling supper
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into tenders
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
Dressing
- 1/4 cup good, olive oil
- 1 medium shallot, minced
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp maple syrup, or honey
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Salad
- 20 ounces salad greens (romaine, spinach, etc)
- 1 cup sugared pecans, toasted and chopped (see notes)
- 1/2 cup dried cherries
- 3 small mandarin oranges, peeled, sectioned and sections halved
- 1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese, or crumbled goat cheese
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté chicken until cooked through. Transfer to a plate and keep warm
- In a lidded jar, or small bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients and set aside.
- Toss greens in a large bowl with dressing. Add rest of toppings and serve.
Notes
- Be sure to use salad greens that can handle the “weight” of the other toppings. Butter lettuce, for instance, is too soft.
- For sugared pecans, combine equal parts water and sugar in a small saucepan (1/4 water and 1/4 cup sugar) to create a simple syrup. Whisk while bringing mixture to a boil and sugar is dissolved. Spread 2-3 cups of pecan pieces on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and pour sugar over. Toss to coat. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Sprinkle with a little kosher salt as soon as they come out of the oven. Let cool completely. Store sugared nuts in an air-tight container for up to one month.