Arugula and Nectarine Chicken Salad with Basil Dressing
4
servings20
minutes30
minutes50
minutesWith the return of warm weather comes the return of hearty salads (oh yes!!!!). This one checks all the boxes: fresh, crunchy, sweet, salty, filling (hello, chicken!)… and the dressing is ultra creamy – made with mayo and basil.
Ingredients
- Dressing
¾ cup MAG mayonnaise
¼ cup olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 ½ cups (packed) fresh basil leaves
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp rice vinegar
½ tsp salt
- Chicken
4 Exceldor chicken breasts
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp honey
¾ tsp salt
- Salad
Approx. 8 cups arugula (1 container, 142 g / 5 oz)
3 nectarines, sliced
4–5 mini cucumbers, halved lengthwise, gently smashed with the back of a knife, then sliced into half-moons
½ red onion, thinly sliced
½ cup (packed) fresh mint leaves
200 g goat feta cheese, roughly crumbled
1 ½ cups store-bought pita chips
Instructions
- Make the dressing. In a tall container, combine ¾ cup of mayonnaise, ¼ cup of olive oil, 1 chopped shallot, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 ½ cups of packed fresh basil leaves, the juice of 1 lemon, 1 tsp of Dijon mustard, 2 tbsp of rice vinegar, and ½ tsp of salt. Blend with an immersion blender until smooth and creamy.
- Marinate the chicken. In a bowl, mix 3 tbsp of the prepared basil vinaigrette with 1 tbsp of Dijon mustard, 1 tbsp of honey, and ¾ tsp of salt. Add the 4 chicken breasts and toss to coat well. Ideally, cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours for best results. Refrigerate the basil dressing until ready to use. Let the chicken come to room temperature 30 minutes before cooking if you decided to marinate.
- Grill the chicken. Preheat the BBQ to medium-high heat. Grill the marinated chicken breasts for 8 to 10 minutes on each side, or until nicely charred and fully cooked. Remove from the grill, let rest for a few minutes, then slice.
- Assemble the salad. In a large bowl, combine about 8 cups of arugula, the sliced nectarines, prepared cucumbers, ½ sliced red onion, ½ cup of packed mint leaves, 200 g of crumbled goat feta, and 1 ½ cups of pita chips. Add the grilled chicken slices.
- Drizzle a generous amount of basil vinaigrette over the salad and toss well to coat everything evenly. Serve immediately, garnished with a few extra pita chips and fresh mint leaves. Add more dressing if needed.
