This grilled chicken and peach mixed green salad is the perfect summer dinner, and you'll love the amazing blueberry vinaigrette.
Start with a bed of mixed greens and top them with chicken breasts that you grill and slice after marinating them in a pineapple juice and soy sauce-based mixture.
Add some grilled peaches, a few blueberries, a sprinking of goat cheese, and roasted sesame seeds.
Dress the salad with an amazing blueberry vinaigrette and serve it with some chilled white wine or rosé along with a crusty baguette and butter.
If you're looking for a light summer dinner recipe, this salad is substantial yet light and refreshing enough to serve on a hot summer evening.
Ingredients and Substitutions:
Mixed Greens: I used a six ounce bag of mixed greens from my grocery store. The bag included frizee, radicchio, red cabbage, baby green lettuce, baby chard, baby spinach, and arugula.
You can use any of your favorite mixed greens, or any single leafy green that you have on hand. You will need about 8 cups, from 4 to 8 ounces by weight depending on the greens.
Fresh Peaches: I used the slices from two fresh peaches, which you grill right after pulling the chicken from the grill. If peaches are out of season, you can use fresh frozen peach slices. Another option is grilled pears.
Chicken Breasts: You can use two to four boneless skinless chicken breasts depending on the size of the chicken pieces. You could also substitute chicken thighs.
Blueberries: I tossed in a handful of fresh blueberries. You can substitute other berries, or for a savory salad, you can substitute sliced heirloom tomatoes.
Goat cheese: You can buy crumbled goat cheese or crumble it yourself. Great substitutions can be feta cheese or crumbled gornonzola cheese.
Roasted Sunflower Seeds: These are wonderful in any salad. I've also added them to bread for a delicious heartiness. You can also substitute chopped honey roasted pecans or candied walnuts.
Blueberry Vinaigrette: The dressing includes blueberry preserves, sherry vinegar, salt and pepper, and canola oil. You can make it in advance and use it on all of your favorite salads. It's my new favorite salad dressing.
You could also substitute blackberry preserves or any other berry preserves you like.
For the Marinade: You will need pineapple juice, olive oil, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger. This combination gives the chicken so much flavor and moistness. Plus, pineapple juice is great at tenderizing the chicken.
By the way, if it's too cold to grill outdoors, or if you don't have a grill (or a backyard), a good grill pan can help you similate the effect of outdoor grilling.
My two favorites are the All-Clad, which is aluminum, and the Staub, which is enameled cast iron. I love them both.
You can make both the marinade and the dressing up to a week in advance.
More Hearty Summer Salads:
Wilted Mixed Green Salad with Bacon and Blue Cheese
Mixed Greens, Peach, and Corn Salad
Welcome to #BBQWeek where we celebrate all things barbecue related! From slow cooked pulled pork to grilled chicken, salsa and sides, and delicious pies there’s a recipe that’s perfect for your summer cookout parties.
Monday’s #BBQWeek Recipes
- Grilled Chicken and Peach Mixed Green Salad from Karen's Kitchen Stories
- Teriyaki Grilled Pork Steaks from Palatable Pastime
- The Best Marinated Grilled Pork Chops from A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
Grilled Chicken and Peach Mixed Green Salad
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups pineapple juice
- 2/3 cup olive oil
- 2/3 cup soy sauce
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
- 3/4 cup blueberry preserves
- 1/2 cup sherry vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 12 ounces total)
- All of the marinade
- 2 large fresh peaches, pitted, peeled, and cut into slices
- 8 cups of mixed greens
- 1/2 cup goat cheese
- 1/2 cup roasted, salted, suflower seeds
- 3/4 cup fresh blueberries
- 1 cup blueberry vinaigrette
Instructions
- Whisk together all of the ingredients.
- Add the mixture to a ziploc bag along with the chicken breasts. Refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.
- Add the blueberry preserves, vinegar, salt, and pepper to a blender and blend until combined.
- Add the oil and blend until emulsified.
- Heat your grill and grill the marinated chicken breasts over medium heat until they reach an internal temperature of 150 degrees F. Place them on a cutting board and tent with foil.
- Grill the peach slices for about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Set aside.
- Slice the chicken breasts into 1/2 inch slices.
- Portion the greens on four bowls or plates and evenly divide the chicken breast slices over the greens. Evenly divide the grilled peaches over the greens.
- Top with the goat cheese and sunflower seeds and arrange the blueberries on top of the salad.
- Drizzle each salad with 1/4 cup of the vinaigrette.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
264.82Fat (grams)
9.13 gSat. Fat (grams)
4.87 gCarbs (grams)
20.8 gFiber (grams)
2.87 gNet carbs
17.95 gSugar (grams)
14.04 gProtein (grams)
26.13 gCholesterol (grams)
67.84 mgRecipe inspired by Tupelo Honey Cafe. New Southern Flavors from the Blue Ridge Mountains.
I love the peach and blueberry combo. Very fresh for early summer and perfect with chicken.
ReplyDeleteWhat a tasty salad. Such a perfect meal for this warmer weather.
ReplyDeleteThose peaches and that chicken look perfectly delicious. And the cheese, crunch, and berries just increase the appeal of this salad!
ReplyDelete