Grilled Chicken and Pear Salad
Any day is a perfect day for a crisp, flavorful salad! This salad is perfect as a main course since it has your protein, fruits, and vegetables all in one! Of course, it also works as a smaller side salad, but it might steal the show!
Servings 4 side salads or 2 main entrée salads
Ingredients
- 3-4 chicken breast
- cumin, for seasoning chicken
- salt and pepper, for seasoning chicken
- 6 cups salad greens, any salad greens
- 2 medium pears, any variety
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries
- ⅓ cup chopped pecans, toasted
- ¼ cup feta cheese
Dressing
- ½-1 shallot, (depending on the size of the shallot) peeled
- ½ cup olive oil, extra virgin
- 4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 4 tablespoons Greek yogurt
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
Instructions
- Preheat grill on high heat. Brush chicken lightly with oil and season with salt, pepper, and cumin on both sides.
- Add chicken to the grill and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side. (Your grill temperature and cooking time will vary based on your grill and the thickness of the chicken). When grilling chicken, always use a meat thermometer to check if it is done. Your chicken is done when the internal temperature reaches 160°F.
- Allow chicken to cool before slicing.
- While the chicken is cooling, toast the pecans. Halve or roughly chop the pecans and add them to a small skillet. Over medium heat, toast the pecans in a dry skillet (do not add oil), stirring frequently so they don't burn. This process should take about 5 minutes, and they should be golden, fragrant, and crunchy.
- Wash and slice the pears.
Dressing
- Peel the shallot. Add the shallot and all the other dressing ingredients to a blender, mini-prep, or immersion blender and process for 30 seconds. Use immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 week. Shake thoroughly before using.
Notes
Cooking chicken on the stovetop: When cooking your chicken on the stovetop, season the same way you would for grilling it. Heat your pan and 1 tablespoon of oil on the stove over medium-high heat. Place chicken breast in the pan and cook undisturbed for 5 to 7 minutes. Flip and continue cooking for another 7 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160F. Cooking time will always depend on the thickness of the chicken breasts.