Recipe Swap - Strawberry, Orange and Grilled Chicken Salad

Want to see what other Main Course Salad recipes were made during the swap? Here is the link to the Main Course Salad Recipe Swap Roundup

This week's recipe swap theme was Main Course Salads. I know a lot of people like to eat lighter, healthier meals in the summer but still want a meal that's substantial enough to last until morning. My recipe was Strawberry, Orange and Grilled Chicken Salad:


In the interest of full disclosure, SP didn't even attempt to eat this one. As soon as I told him what I'd made for dinner he said he "didn't do fruit in salads unless it was a fruit salad" and promptly heated up some leftovers. Oh well, more for me. I really enjoyed this salad. I happen to love fruit in salads and the combination of the strawberries and mandarin oranges was perfect. I added some blue cheese and sliced almonds and I think they were great additions that helped cut some of the sweetness from the other ingredients.

Strawberry, Orange and Grilled Chicken Salad
Adapted from The Cookaholic Wife

6 cups baby spinach leaves
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
2 cups strawberries, diced
1 cup mandarin oranges, chopped
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/3 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup blue cheese, crumbled
Raspberry vinaigrette (recipe below)
Fresh cracked black pepper, to taste

Combine the first 7 ingredients in a large bowl. Add desired amount of dressing, toss well to coat. Season with pepper, to taste. Serve cold.

Raspberry Vinaigrette

1/4 cup olive oil
1/8 cup red wine vinegar
1/8 cup white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon raspberry preserves
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Fresh tarragon, minced
Black pepper
1 shallot, minced
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
Honey, to taste

Blend all the ingredients, except the sugar or honey, in a food processor, adding water as necessary to adjust the consistency. Add honey to taste at the very end.