Chicken Harvest Salad
This delectable chicken harvest salad is made with kale, quinoa, roasted sweet potatoes, cranberries, and green apple slices. It's then topped with a juicy chicken breast and maple dijon dressing, making it a sweet, savory, and tangy bowl that is sure to delight.
Servings 2
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 4 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 ½ cups sweet potatoes cubed
- 1 ½ cups quinoa
- 4 cups kale shredded
- ½ green apple sliced
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese optional
- ¼ cup walnuts optional
- salt and pepper to taste
Maple Dijon Vinaigrette
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- pinch black pepper
- ½ shallot slices
Instructions
Roast the Sweet Potatoes
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Wash, peel, and cube the sweet potatoes.
- Put the cubes in a bowl and coat with 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Spread the sweet potato cubes on a large baking sheet and bake at 400°F for 20 minutes or until it is soft in the middle and golden brown.
Make the Quinoa
- Rinse the quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer.
- Put the quinoa, water, and salt in a pot on medium-high heat until it boils. Lower the heat to low to maintain a simmer for 15-20 minutes or until all of the water is absorbed.
- Remove from the heat, put a lid on it for 5-10 minutes to allow the quinoa to pop open. Fluff and it's done.
Cook the Chicken
- Using a meat tenderizer, cover the chicken with plastic wrap and pound the chicken until it is all the same thickness (about 3/4 inch). Sprinkle both sides with a generous amount of salt and pepper.
- Heat up a pan with 2 tablespoons olive oil on medium-high heat and gently place the smooth side of the chicken breast down in the hot pan. Let it sear without moving it for about 5-7 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and flip the chicken over. Allow it to cook through for another 5-7 minutes (depending on the thickness of the chicken).
- Add a half cup of chicken broth and allow the broth to evaporate (about 2-3 minutes). The chicken is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. If that internal temperature has not been reached, add another 1/2 cup chicken broth, put the lid on the pan, and cook for another 5 minutes until the temperature is reached and the chicken is no longer pink on the inside.
Make the Vinaigrette
- Put all of the vinaigrette ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake until it comes together.
Make the Salad
- Toss together the shredded kale, quinoa, sweet potatoes, apple slices, and cranberries with the vinaigrette. Add the thinly sliced chicken breast on top. If you desire, top it off with feta cheese and walnuts.
- Enjoy!
Notes
What are some time-savers and shortcuts to this meal?
- Consider making the quinoa, roasted sweet potatoes and chicken in advance and either freeze or refrigerate them until you are ready to make this salad.
- You can also consider using rotisserie chicken on the salad or using pre-cooked chicken breast slices.
- You may also consider purchasing pre-cut and cubed sweet potatoes so all you have to do is roast them.
- The freezer sections at most grocery stores will have frozen, premade quinoa.
- Quinoa can also be made in a rice cooker instead of the stovetop.