Blackberry Chicken Salad Recipe
A refreshing and vibrant Blackberry Chicken Salad featuring tender sautéed chicken breasts, fresh blackberries, creamy avocado, crunchy walnuts, and a tangy homemade blackberry vinaigrette dressing. Perfect for a light lunch or a healthy dinner, this salad combines sweet, savory, and tart flavors with a mix of textures for a delightful and nutritious meal.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: Sautéing, Mixing
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Low Fat
Ingredients
Scale
Salad
- ½ pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 6 cups spring mix lettuce
- 1 cup fresh blackberries
- 1 medium avocado, sliced
- ¼ cup red onion, sliced
- ¼ cup chopped walnuts
Dressing
- ½ cup fresh blackberries
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the chicken: Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and sauté the boneless, skinless chicken breasts until they are fully cooked through, about 6-8 minutes per side depending on thickness. Once cooked, tent the chicken with foil and let it rest to retain juices.
- Prepare the salad base: In a large bowl, add the spring mix lettuce as the base. Arrange the fresh blackberries, sliced avocado, sliced red onion, and chopped walnuts evenly on top for a colorful and textured salad.
- Make the dressing: In a medium bowl, combine ½ cup fresh blackberries with Dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, honey, and soy sauce. Use a fork to mash the blackberries, releasing their juices, then whisk everything together until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Assemble the salad: Slice the rested cooked chicken into strips and place them over the salad. Drizzle the prepared blackberry vinaigrette dressing over the top and serve immediately for the freshest flavor and texture.
Notes
- For extra tenderness, marinate the chicken in a little olive oil and lemon juice before cooking.
- Substitute walnuts with pecans or almonds for different nutty flavors.
- If blackberries are not in season, frozen blackberries can be thawed and used for the dressing.
- This salad is best served fresh to keep the avocado from browning.
- To make it gluten-free, ensure the soy sauce used is certified gluten-free or substitute with tamari.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 salad (about 1/2 of recipe)
- Calories: 370
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 300mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 22g
- Fiber: 7g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 75mg
Keywords: blackberry chicken salad, healthy chicken salad, berry vinaigrette, summer salad, light dinner, avocado salad
Find it online: https://nayabaker.com/blackberry-chicken-salad-recipe/
