30-minute Grilled Chicken Salad with Blackberry Balsamic Vinaigrette
This salad is great for a healthy yet fufilling meal. The blackberry balsamic vinaigrette beautifully marinates the chicken and makes the perfect salad dressing.
Ingredients
Blackberry Balsamic Vinaigrette
- 1 cup fresh blackberries
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic minced
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the Salad
- 1/2 pound boneless chicken breasts
- 5 cups spring mix with spinach
- 1/2 cup fresh blackberries
- 1 avocado sliced
- 1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles
- 1/2 cup pecans
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon sugar
Instructions
- Wash the blackberries and let dry before making the vinaigrette. You can use frozen blackberries instead if you have them already available.
- For the blackberry balsamic vinaigrette: add all ingredients except the olive oil to a small saucepan over low heat. Stir consistently for four minutes till warm. Remove pan from heat and use a whisk to break down the whole berries into smaller pieces. Whisk in olive oil until completely blended.
- Use half of the vinaigrette to marinate the chicken for at least two hours if possible. If not, thirty minutes will do. You want to give the chicken enough time to absorb the delicious vinaigrette.
- While the chicken is marinating or before grilling, mix together the maple syrup and pecans in a bowl. Place on a cookie sheet covered with foil and toast at 350 degrees for four minutes. As soon as they come out of the oven, sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on top and let cool.
- Grill the chicken breasts over low heat until cooked through and grill marks are present. The marinade will caramelize easily, so it is important to keep the chicken at low heat until cooked through.
- Let the chicken rest for a few minutes and then slice into thin medallions.
- Assemble the rest of the salad ingredients and enjoy!