You can tell I’m feeling a little goofy when I choose a title like Spring Fling Chicken & Nectarine Salad, but it’s a gorgeous spring day and I don’t feel like taking life too seriously all the time. Sometimes we just need to be a little silly.
A friend of mine recently mentioned that they’d found some super ripe and delicious nectarines at my local store. It seemed kind of early in the season but they smelled amazing so I immediately bought a whole bunch of them. I made this salad three days in a row. It is so good! Well, as long as you like “fruit in your food” as I say. Not everybody likes fruit in their savory dishes, but I happen to love the savory-sweet combination and lunchtime salads are always an opportunity to satisfy that particular flavor craving.
Although it’s quite simple, this salad does not disappoint! The flavors balance and support each other in a fairly sophisticated way. The arugula provides a backdrop of bitterness for the mild chicken which is bolstered by pops of juicy sweetness from the nectarine. The toasted almonds bring warmth and depth while the basil and mint provide the freshness. Delicately dressing the salad allows each of the flavors to shine through on their own. I have a feeling this salad will be in my rotation all summer long. In fact, I planted some basil and mint in pots by my door so I could make sure that it does!
I hope you are all celebrating the arrival (finally! for a lot of us) of spring sunshine, warmer days and lovely, long evenings. Let me know if you try this salad and love it too!
Spring Fling Chicken & Nectarine Salad
5 oz. cooked chicken (I used rotisserie chicken)
1 ripe nectarine
2 handfuls of arugula
a little red onion sliced very thinly
1/2 Tbsp. sliced almonds, toasted
7-8 basil leaves, thinly sliced (about 2 Tbsp.)
12 mint leaves, thinly sliced (about 2 Tbsp.)
1 Tbsp. Paleo mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. white balsamic vinegar
salt
lots of cracked black pepper
Directions
- Mix together mayonnaise and vinegar with a pinch of salt and pepper in the bottom of a bowl and set aside.
- Add arugula to the bowl.
- Chop chicken and nectarine into 1/2″ sized bites and add to the bowl with the arugula.
- Add onion and almond slivers along with the sliced herbs.
- Toss everything together, add a little salt and pepper, and taste. Add more pepper if it needs it and enjoy!
