Romaine Salad with Chicken Apricots & Mint
Submitted by happyzhangbo
Romaine salad with grilled chicken, fresh apricots, mint, and toasted almonds in a dried apricot-mint dressing. A Mediterranean main-course salad where the dressing doubles as the chicken marinade.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
18 minCOOK
15 minREADY
38 minThis salad pulls off a brilliant trick: one mixture does double duty as marinade AND dressing. Dried apricots rehydrate in hot water, then blend with fresh mint, orange zest, orange juice, honey, Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, and olive oil into a thick, glossy, almost-chutney-like emulsion. One cup sets aside as salad dressing. The rest marinates the chicken breasts in a sealable bag for 20 minutes before grilling.
Grilled medium-high for 6 to 8 minutes per side, the chicken picks up char marks and absorbs the sweet-tangy-herbaceous punch from the marinade. Slice on a bias and fan over a bed of crisp romaine tossed with fresh apricot wedges, chopped mint, and the reserved dressing. Toasted sliced almonds finish it with crunch.
Every bite delivers juicy chicken, sweet fresh fruit, peppery herb, and nutty crunch. A legit dinner-worthy salad that leans Mediterranean without trying too hard.
Chef Tips
- Don’t reuse the marinade on cooked chicken. Raw-poultry marinade carries bacteria; discard what touches the chicken and use the reserved cup on the salad only.
- Pound the chicken breasts to even thickness before marinating. Uniform thickness means they cook evenly instead of drying out on one end.
- Toast almonds in a dry skillet for 3 to 4 minutes before using. Raw almonds taste flat; toasted almonds crackle.
- Use ripe but firm fresh apricots. Mushy apricots fall apart in the salad and pale, underripe ones taste green and grassy.
Variations
- Swap chicken for grilled turkey breast, lamb, or shrimp.
- Use plums, peaches, or nectarines instead of apricots when they’re not in season.
- Crumble feta or goat cheese over the salad for a tangy, salty dimension.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat grill.
To prepare marinade & dressing:
Soak dried apricots in hot water for 10 minutes.
Drain and transfer apricots to a food processor.
Add 2 cups mint, orange zest, orange juice, honey, mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper.
Process until smooth.
With the motor running, gradually drizzle in oil.
Reserve 1 cup for the dressing.
To prepare salad:
Transfer the remaining marinade to a large sealable plastic bag.
Add chicken, seal and turn to coat.
Marinate in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
Lightly oil the grill rack (hold a piece of oil-soaked paper towel with tongs and rub it over the grate).
Grill the chicken over medium-high heat until no longer pink in the center, 6 to 8 minutes per side.
(Discard the marinade.)
Meanwhile, combine lettuce, apricot (or plum) wedges and chopped mint in a large bowl.
Add the reserved dressing and toss to coat.
Divide the salad among 4 plates.
Slice the chicken and arrange over the salads.
Sprinkle with almonds and serve.
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