If you’re looking for a light refreshing salad, this Basil, Blackberry & Grilled Chicken Salad has your name all over it. And if you have some leftover grilled chicken hangin’ out in the fridge, it’s also super quick & easy. Gotta love that.
What you’ll need for your Basil, Blackberry & Grilled Chicken Salad…
- Extra-virgin olive oil – My first choice is always single source EVOO from Italy. Less processing = healthier more delicious olive oil.
- White balsamic vinegar – White balsamic vinegar is a lighter-hued version of traditional balsamic, offering a sweet and tangy flavor without the dark color, making it ideal for dishes where color preservation is important. Golden balsamic vinegar can be used in its place.
- Honey – Using honey, instead of sugar, rounds out the flavor and adds a silky smooth texture to the dressing.
- Dijon mustard – Dijon is preferred over regular mustard for its more intense complex flavor profile. Adds acidity and brightness to the dressing.
- Kosher salt – If need be, table salt can be used with caution. Table salt is finer and more dense than kosher salt, so a teaspoon of table salt will contain more actual salt than a teaspoon of kosher salt. When substituting, use about two-thirds the amount of table salt specified in a recipe using kosher salt.
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Fresh baby arugula – Preferred over mature arugula, baby arugula is picked when the leaves are still small and tender. Baby arugula tends to have a less pronounced peppery bite than mature arugula, which has large, full-size leaves. As an alternative, fresh baby spinach or spring mix could be used.
- Fresh basil leaves – Highly recommend that you use fresh basil with its vibrant, sweet and peppery flavor.
- Red onion – Slivered or very thinly sliced.
- Grilled chicken breast – If you need assistance on grilling that perfect chicken breast, check out the Notes section of the recipe for some guidance.
- Fresh blackberries – Adding fresh blackberries to this salad enhances it with a balance of sweet and tart flavors, along with a vibrant visual appeal. Feel free to substitute with your fresh berry of choice such as strawberries, raspberries or blueberries.
- Goat cheese – Crumbled. Goat cheese is typically tangy and slightly tart, with a creamy texture. If you’re not a fan of the tanginess, drained mild ricotta cheese would be a good alternative.
We’re huge chicken fans in my household, especially when it’s been grilled to perfection. I must admit that I tend to cook quite a bit more than we may need for the moment.
It’s no accident. Having some of that goodness handy for a snack or to add to a salad is always the plan.
It’s recommended that you use white balsamic vinegar for this vinaigrette. If you don’t happen to have that, you can replace it with golden balsamic vinegar with similar results.
Regular balsamic can used if absolutely necessary, but it will leave a brown hue on all of the ingredients …something that may make the final dish a bit less appealing.
- Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, honey, mustard, salt & pepper in a small bowl.
- Set aside.
Got lots of basil from your garden?
Since you may have a generous supply of basil from the garden or farmers market right now, try using the basil leaves as the “lettuce” in this salad.
To soften the bold basil flavor, combine it with baby arugula as we’ve done here. Another possibility would be mixing the basil with some spring mix or baby spinach.
For the sliced onion, the thinner the better. I highly recommend using a mandoline slicer for the task. As always, be very careful!
- Combine the arugula, basil & onion in a medium-sized bowl.
If you’re not serving this right away, stop right here.
Cover it and place it in the fridge until you’re ready to enjoy it. At that point, toss with a small amount of the vinaigrette. Just enough to lightly dress it. These greens are on the fragile side and too much dressing will wilt them in a hurry.
- Just before serving, add a few tablespoons of the vinaigrette.
- Toss gently to coat.
- Divide the dressed greens among the serving plates.
- Add the chicken, blackberries & goat cheese equally to each salad.
- Top each one off with a bit more vinaigrette.
Serve your Basil, Blackberry & Grilled Chicken Salad immediately.
Be sure to offer additional vinaigrette on the side. Just in case.
basil, blackberry & grilled chicken salad
Adapted from Cooking Light
Refreshing summer salad on a bed of basil leaves and baby arugula.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar (or golden balsamic vinegar)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons honey
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups packed baby arugula (about 2 ounces)
- 3/4 cup fresh basil, stems removed (about 1 ounce)
- 1/8 cup slivered red onion
- 1 (8-ounce) grilled chicken breast, cut into slices (see Notes for grilling instructions)
- 4 ounces fresh blackberries
- 1/4 cup goat cheese, crumbled (about 1 ounce)
Instructions
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Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, honey, mustard, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.
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Combine arugula, basil, and onion in a medium-sized bowl. Add a few tablespoons of the vinaigrette and toss gently to coat. Divide the dressed salad evenly between 2 plates. Top each serving with chicken, blackberries, and cheese. Sprinkle each with a small amount of dressing.
-
Serve immediately. Offer additional dressing on the side.
Recipe Notes
To Grill Chicken:
Preheat grill to medium-high (about 450°F). Brush both sides of one (8-ounce) chicken breast with a mixture of 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar; season with salt & pepper. Place chicken directly on grill grate. Grill, covered, until a meat thermometer inserted in thickest portion registers 160°F, about 5 to 6 minutes per side. Let stand 5 minutes; cut into slices.
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More summer salads…
