Citrus Chicken Salad with Herb Toasted Walnuts
If you want a healthy salad recipe but you want to change it up, try something new, but quick and easy is still a must, then this salad should be in your recipe repertoire. Remember those herb toasted walnuts in yesterday’s blog? They’re in this salad. And if you have leftover roasted chicken breasts, or even rotisserie chicken in your fridge, you’re already almost done making it!
Here’s what you need to make it:
-Salad greens- I prefer baby spinach for this but you can use what you like.
-Oranges – I like blood oranges when they’re in season but you can use what you have available. In the picture above I used regular ones.
-jicama- the provider of the fresh crunchy aspect.
-the Herb Toasted Walnuts – See yesterday’s post for the recipe. They take less than 5 minutes to make!
-Cooked & shredded chicken – I like to use roasted chicken breasts that I often prep on the weekends to use all week. Would you like a post about that? Maybe I should do a blog post about that. Let me know in the comments if that’s something you’re interested in.
-manchego cheese – ok, you can use parm or something if you like, but I personally love the combo of manchego with walnuts and greens.
-the dressing (see recipe card). It’s simple and has very few ingredients. In this salad, the dressing is an enhancer. You don’t need it to be the star and hide the salad flavors.
Let’s talk about why you want to eat this – besides its great flavor.
The herb toasted walnuts are the star of the show here. Walnuts are nutritional powerhouses. They have protein, healthy fats, and fiber, a combination that helps you feel fuller and more satisfied than you would by eating the same salad without them. They help with both brain and heart health too! Who couldn’t use more of that?!
And let’s not forget that we are toasting those walnuts with herbs. Herbs are loaded with polyphenols, which are awesome antioxidants and anti-inflammatories.
I can’t overstate the importance of greens in your diet. Even though walnuts pack a punch, greens are something your body needs every day. Greens provide antioxidants, boost your immune system, and help your body produce energy. If you want to be able to focus and have energy, eat more greens.
Citrus and greens together actually help your body absorb iron and vitamin C and work together to boost your immune system even more powerfully than they do as individual ingredients. Of course, there’s also the chicken, protein, the building blocks of our bodies.
So basically, everything about this salad is good for you. If you’re low carb or keto, just swap out the dressing for something without syrup or sugar and you’re good to go. There are 19 net carbs per 2 cup serving of this salad but most of that is in the dressing.
I love the combination of oranges and walnuts in this salad. But that leads me to question what other fruit/nut combos I would like in a salad. I know I like apples and pecans in my fall salads. Do you have a suggestion for a fruit and nut combo I should try in my greens? Leave it in the comments for me! I’d love to try it.
What are you waiting for? Get this healthy chicken salad recipe on your menu this week! And file a copy in your ‘easy chicken recipes’ section of your recipe box.
Looking for more of the foods I tamper with on a daily basis? Check out my Instagram and Facebook pages!
| Prep Time | 20 minutes |
| Servings |
2 cup servings
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- 1/4 cup herb roasted walnuts from DailyRation.net
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar reduction
- 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 pinch salt
- 8 cups baby spinach leaves or greens of your choice
- 3 cups chopped or shredded cooked chicken
- 2 medium oranges, segmented and chopped reserve juice
- 1 1/2 cups jicama julienned
- 1/2 cup crumbled manchego cheese
Ingredients
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- Combine the vinegar, syrup, dijon, salt, and any juice left from the oranges. Wisk to combine and set aside to dress salad when ready.
- Toss the greens, chicken, jicama, and orange pieces. Divide the salad mixture among the plates and sprinkle walnuts and cheese over the top. Drizzle with dressing