Grilled Chicken Salad with a Fresh Strawberry Dressing
Submitted by happyzhangbo
Grilled chicken salad with blanched asparagus, sugar snaps, and snow peas over a fresh strawberry-balsamic dressing and toasted almonds. A springtime dinner salad that feels like a restaurant plate.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
15 minREADY
36 minA strawberry vinaigrette pureed with balsamic vinegar and almond oil is the headline here. It’s bright, barely sweet, and the balsamic keeps it from tasting like jam-in-a-blender. Pouring it over grilled chicken breast and blanched spring vegetables turns a regular salad into something that tastes composed on purpose.
Blanching the asparagus, sugar snaps, and snow peas for exactly 2 minutes is the move. Any longer and they lose that crisp snap. Shock them in cold water immediately to lock in color, then pat completely dry so the lemon-oil dressing clings instead of pooling.
Grill the chicken until it’s lightly browned and no longer pink inside, roughly 6 minutes per side for a 12-ounce piece. Let it rest a full 5 minutes before slicing crosswise. That pause is what keeps the chicken juicy instead of dry on the plate.
Toasted sliced almonds scattered over the top give the last bit of crunch and echo the almond oil in the dressing.
Chef Tips
- Toast the sliced almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Watch them closely, they burn in seconds.
- Use room-temperature strawberries for the dressing. Cold berries won’t puree as smoothly.
- Blot the blanched vegetables thoroughly dry before dressing, or the salad goes soggy.
- Slice chicken against the grain (crosswise) for more tender bites.
Variations
- Swap strawberries for raspberries or blackberries in the dressing.
- Add crumbled goat cheese for tang and richness.
- Use grilled shrimp or salmon in place of chicken for a seafood version.
Ingredients
Directions
Put a large pot of water on to boil for cooking vegetables. Prepare a grill or preheat broiler.
Blanch asparagus, sugar snaps and snow peas in boiling water for 2 minutes.
Drain, rinse with cold water to refresh, then blot dry with paper towels.
Whisk lemon juice, almond oil (or canola oil), salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Add the vegetables and scallions; toss to coat.
Rub chicken with canola oil and sprinkle with lemon-pepper seasoning.
Oil the grill rack (see Tip).
Grill the chicken and cook until lightly browned and no longer pink in the center, about 6 minutes per side.
(Alternatively, broil the chicken on an oiled broiler pan 4 to 6 inches from the heat source until cooked through, about 6 minutes per side.) Let rest for 5 minutes.
Cut the chicken crosswise into ¼ inch-thick slices.
Divide the vegetable mixture among 4 plates.
Arrange the chicken over the vegetables.
Spoon about 3 tablespoons Fresh Strawberry Dressing over each salad.
Sprinkle with almonds and garnish each serving with a strawberry.
Serve immediately.
Fresh Strawberry Dressing:
Place strawberries, vinegar, pepper, sugar and salt in a blender or food processor; process until pureed, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides.
Add oil and process until smooth.
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