Chicken Spinach Salad (Recipe 79 of 150)

It's hot today. The last thing I wanted to do was turn on the stove. So a nice fresh salad with leftover chicken was just the ticket. 

Since it's shopping day I decided to mix it up a bit and make this spinach salad. The berries, the feta, and the dressing go so well together. Yum. 

I changed nothing with this recipe other than not making the chicken. As I mentioned, I had chicken left over from last night's yummy cluck cluck.

Chicken Spinach Salad

Recipe from Chelsea's Messy Apron

Serves 4

• 1 large boneless skinless chicken breast
• 4 c baby spinach
• 1/2 c fresh blueberries
• 1/2 c fresh strawberries
• 1/2 c clementine or mandarin oranges
• 2-3 T feta cheese
• 2-3 T sliced almonds
• Salt and pepper

Dressing

• 1/4 c olive oil
• 1 T balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 tsp honey

PREP: Prepare the fruit by washing and drying. If any ingredients are still wet, the dressing won't adhere very well. Remove strawberry stems and thinly slice. Peel clementine oranges. If desired, remove large stems on the spinach (I also tear the spinach leaves if they are large).

CHICKEN: (See Note 1) Remove fat from chicken and slice the breast in half width-wise. Dab chicken with paper towels to dry. Drizzle olive oil over both sides of the chicken pieces and then generously sprinkle both sides of the chicken with salt, pepper, and chicken grilling blends. Drizzle 2-3 teaspoons olive oil over a large pan or grill pan.

CHICKEN CONT.: Preheat the skillet over medium-high heat. Place the chicken in the skillet and then reduce the heat to medium and cook until the meat is no longer pink and the juices run clear, about 4-5 minutes per side, flipping once at the halfway mark. If the chicken is browning too quickly, slightly reduce the heat. Once the chicken is cooked through (juices run clear or it registers 165 degrees F), remove from heat and cover with foil. Let slightly cool for 5-10 minutes and then thinly slice or chop.

DRESSING: Combine all of the dressing ingredients (olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, and honey) in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Add some salt to taste (I use 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper). Close and shake until well combined.

SALAD ASSEMBLY: Add spinach to a large bowl. Toss with a few tablespoons of the dressing. Then add in the strawberries, blueberries, and oranges. Add in the slightly cooled chopped chicken. Add almonds and feta cheese. Drizzle remaining dressing on top and toss to combine. Enjoy immediately.

STORAGE: This salad doesn't sit well with the dressing, so only dress what will be enjoyed same day. Store any leftover salad and dressing separately. Almonds and cheese should also be stored separately.