Sumac Chicken and Fresh Berry Salad

This salad is not only pretty to look at, but it’s extremely filling and fantastic. When I put this recipe together, I wanted a lot of contrast and different flavors in it which is what the blue cheese and crispy shallots bring. The white balsamic dressing is a vinaigrette I used to make at one of the restaurants. It compliments this salad well and balances out the sweet and tart.

For The Chicken:

4 medium chicken breast

1 c orange juice

1 tbs honey

1 1/2 tbs sumac

salt and pepper to taste

The Dressing:

White Balsamic Vinaigrette

Crispy Shallots:

1 large shallot, thinly sliced

2 tsp olive oil

All The Rest:

1 head iceberg lettuce,  chopped

1 bunch romaine lettuce, chopped

1 1/2 c fresh blueberries

4 c fresh strawberries

1 1/2 c blue cheese crumbles

To prepare the chicken, you can either butterfly the breasts or pound until they are about 1/4 inch thick. In a bowl, whisk together orange juice and honey. Transfer liquid and chicken to a seal bag. Make sure to coat your chicken well and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour. Once the chicken has marinated, preheat the oven to 350° Arrange the breasts on a shallow sheet pan. Season with salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle both sides of each breast with sumac. Bake off for 20-30 minutes or until the breast has cooked through. Remove from oven and cover with foil. Allow them to rest for 10-15 minutes. Just before putting the salads together, shred the chicken.

While the chicken is cooking, you can get that dressing going so it can chill in the fridge until ready to use. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk until well combine. Refrigerate. Super easy.

Get the shallots cooked before the salad is put together. Heat the oil in a medium saute pan oven medium high heat. Add your shallots, separating them as you stir them with a spoon. Cook until they become lightly crispy and brown. Transfer to paper towels and allow to cool while you put the salad together.

Combine the iceberg and romaine in a large bowl. Make each salad individually as each persons taste is different. Add 3-4 strawberries to each salad followed by a couple of tablespoons of blueberries. Add some sprinkles of blue cheese and shredded chicken. Drizzle some of that vinaigrette over the top and add about 2 teaspoons of crispy shallots. If you have access to fresh figs, that would make this awesome salad that much better!