Fresh, bright, and tasty! This is the salad you want to eat when you need a full meal but don’t want to be weighed down with all the unnecessary filler. Recipe by Chef Dwight Smith
California Strawberry and Cajun Chicken Salad
Course: Main Course
Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
Yield: 2
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- 1 pint California strawberries
- 2 cups spinach - cleaned
- 2 cups arugula - cleaned
- 10 pcs cherry tomatoes - sliced
- 2 cobs corn - charred
- 1 red onion - sliced
- 3 tbsp sliced almonds - toasted
- ¼ cup feta cheese - crumbled
- ½ bunch basil - chopped
- ½ bunch mint - chopped
- 3 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 chicken breast - butterflied
- 2 tbsp Cajun spice
- 1 tbsp salt
- 2 tsp black pepper
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
Instructions
- Trim and slice all California strawberries.
- Combine ⅔ of the sliced California strawberries with chopped basil, mint, 1 tablespoon of honey, and a pinch of black pepper. Mix well and set aside to marinate.
- In a blender add Dijon mustard, white wine vinegar, the rest of your honey, and the remaining California strawberries. Blend on high while slowly pouring in your olive oil. Finish this with a pinch of salt.
- Slice tomatoes, red onions, and remove the corn from the cob.
- In a small pan on medium heat, add vegetable oil and toast corn kernels until slightly charred. Once cooked remove from pan and allow to cool.
- In that same pan, add toasted almonds and cook on medium heat until they begin to toast and turn golden brown.
- Butterfly chicken breasts and season with Cajun spice.
- In a cast iron pan on medium-high heat, sear chicken breast on both sides. You want a char on the chicken and cook it to an internal temp of 165°F (approx. 4-5 minutes per side).
- Once cooked remove from pan. Allow to rest for 2-3 minutes and then slice thinly.
- For assembly, add spinach and arugula into the bowl. Then top with red onions, tomatoes, corn, and the marinated California strawberries. Next, drizzle a healthy amount of the dressing over top of the salad. Then finish with toasted almonds, crumbled feta cheese, and the sliced Cajun chicken.