Written By: Amanda Sullivan @ The Red Table
Lately, it’s been so hot in Nebraska I can’t bring myself to turn on the oven. Or really cook anything at all. Ever.
This is a problem when you have a food blog, as you might imagine.
That’s why I love salads – throw greens and other veggies, fruit or toppers on a plate, drizzle on dressing and you’re set.
Dinner is served. I’m not sweaty. Boom.
Another hot-weather secret? Rotisserie chicken. We’ve had one in our fridge for several days and have been picking off handfuls of meat to throw in salads, wraps or, if you’re my husband, eat out of a bowl plain. For about as much as a whole chicken costs, I get a juicy already-cooked bird and I don’t have to heat up my house to get it. Or really do anything other than plunk down five or six bucks.
The inspiration for this salad comes from Wendy’s Berry Almond Chicken salad. I’ve never had it. I only saw the commercial and I thought it sounded good. However, you know how it is with fast-food salads. They look all pretty and fresh on TV, then you get one and it seems as though the salad fell off the truck and then the truck backed over it several times.
I happened to have this rotisserie chicken, a bag of spinach, sliced almonds and fresh, sweet strawberries on hand. I figured if Wendy’s could do it, so could I. Instead of a heavy, creamy dressing, I whipped up a light honey vinaigrette, which turned out to be a pretty amazing accompaniment. The juicy chicken and sweet strawberries were a perfect combination of sweet and savory. Almonds gave it crunch and the vinaigrette had a nice tangy sweetness running throughout.
Highlighting the best flavors of summer, this salad is a winner and it’s so easy to make, you can do it at home. So, skip the drive through and pile some of this beautiful stuff on your plate. You know you want to!
Strawberry Almond Chicken Salad
Serves 2
1 c shredded cooked chicken
2 c strawberries, washed and sliced
¼ c sliced almonds
4 c baby spinach
2 T sparkling white wine vinegar (or regular white wine vinegar)
1 T honey
1 tsp minced garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
For the salad:
Divide spinach evenly between two plates. Layer chicken and strawberries on top of the spinach, then sprinkle almonds on top.
For the dressing:
In a jar or small bowl with a tight-fitting lid, add the white wine vinegar, honey, garlic, salt and pepper together. Put the lid on and shake until mixed well. Drizzle dressing over both salads.