Chopped Chicken Wild Rice Salad + Balsamic Lemon Cilantro Dressing

The best salad I’ve ever had was at an Organic café in my hometown. So much more than a salad, really. It combined vibrant greens with all of the most wonderful tastes and textures. Savory grilled Chicken, chewy wild rice, sweet and tangy dried cranberries, crunchy toasted almonds, creamy goats cheese, So many wonderful components in such a hearty salad. I’ve made it several times over the years and today I’m partnering with Taylor Farms to make this salad an a snap to prepare with their pre-packaged salad mixes.

Instead of shopping for  and preparing all of the produce separately, I get it all together in one shot – crunchy apples, ribbons of carrots, and sweet baby greens all packaged together, thanks to Taylor Farms. I give the apples a quick chop, toss all of the ingredients together, and toss in what might be my favorite dressing ever. Balsamic Lemon Cilantro. It’s peppery, tangy, sweet and savory, all at the same time. It brings this salad together into one bowl of perfection. It satisfying and hearty enough to serve as a main course and it’s all my husband and I have eaten for the last three days, we love it so much. I’m not kidding. This is by far one of the most satisfying and nourishing salads in my repertoire.

Other than grilling the chicken, it’s super quick and simple to prepare. And it keeps well for a few days in the refrigerator. I like it best the second day when all of the flavors have had ample time to sink in and meld together. Give it a try this spring – you may just have a new favorite salad too!

A big thank you to Taylor Farms for sponsoring this post!

Chopped Chicken Wild Rice Salad + Balsamic Lemon Cilantro Dressing

 

Print

Serves: Serves 4-6

Ingredients

• 1 pkg. Taylor Farms Greens & Apples Mix
• 3 cups Cooked Wild Rice Blend (cooled)
• 2 chicken breasts, grilled and chopped into small cubes
• ½ cup Dried Cranberries
• ½ cup Slivered Almonds, toasted
• ½ cup Crumbled Goats Cheese
• FOR THE DRESSING:
• 1 Garlic Clove
• 3 tablespoons Onion (I just eyeball a slice about this volume)
• ¼ cup Honey
• ⅓ cup Olive Oil
• Juice of ½ Lemon
• 3 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
• ¼ teaspoon Ground Pepper
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• ¼ cup (packed) Cilantro

Instructions

1. FOR THE SALAD:
2. Place the salad mix in a large bowl. Gather the apples in the mix and roughly chop into cubes. Place back into the bowl. Add the rice, chicken, cranberries, almonds, and goats cheese in the bowl and toss. Add the dressing and toss until the salad is well coated.
3. Serve chilled.
4. FOR THE DRESSING:
5. Place all of the ingredients except for the cilantro in a blender. Process on high until completely smooth. Add the cilantro and process on high for a bout 10-15 seconds, or until the cilantro is finely chopped and dispersed in the vinaigrette.

3.2.2925