Grilled Chicken and Pear Salad

Strange combination for this family, but I decided to try it. Grilled fruit is always a good idea, and I’m hoping these pears don’t disappoint! I recently started ordering produce from a local co-op and it’s been a great motivator to try new recipes. I never buy pears, and honestly wasn’t a huge fan – chalk it up to never eating them as a kid. I’m also hoping that the simplicity of the rest of the dish doesn’t equal lack of flavor…we will soon see.

Verdict: All the components of this salad work together really well. They were all leery of the pear, but tried it anyway. I’m pleased with how it turned out, and most of my family (minus the pickiest eater), enjoyed this. Up next, the cheddar biscuits we ate with this salad! 🙂 Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Grilled Chicken and Pear Salad – adapted from Plan to Eat

  • 1 pound chicken breasts, boneless/skinless
  • olive oil
  • kosher salt
  • pepper
  • onion powder
  • garlic powder
  • 2 pears, cored and sliced
  • 6 cups mixed greens with baby spinach
  • Goat cheese, optional

Vinaigrette

  • 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • ¼ teaspoon honey
  • ¼ cup grape seed or olive oil
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Directions –

1. Prepare the vinaigrette and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

2. Butterfly each chicken breast or pound to an even thickness. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder.

3. Grill chicken and pears until chicken juices run clear and pears and soft, warm, and slightly charred.

4. Remove chicken and pears from grill and slice chicken into strips.

5. Plate greens, top with chicken and pears, sprinkle with goat cheese, and drizzle with vinaigrette

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Carrot Ginger Dressing

Quick Post: One of my favorite things to order at local Japanese restaurants is the side salad with carrot ginger dressing. I don’t know why it’s so good, I just accept it! Now that I have a recipe for it that tastes so good, I can enjoy it in the comfort of my own home and I can make it cheap! Really, the most expensive ingredient was the miso paste. Now that I have a huge container of it, there is plenty to go around for lots more of this; and my next experiment – miso soup! I doubled the recipe and I’m glad I did. Between the three of us, half the jar was put away 🙂 Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Carrot Ginger Dressing – adapted from Smitten Kitchen via GOOP.com
  • 1 large carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1 small shallot, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh ginger
  • 2 tablespoons sweet white miso
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seed oil
  • 1/4 cup grapeseed or another neutral oil
  • 2 tablespoons water

Salad:

  • Romaine lettuce
  • avocado
  • cucumber

Blitz the carrots, shallot and ginger in a blender or food processor until finely chopped. Scrape down the sides, then add the miso, vinegar and sesame oil. While the machine running, slowly drizzle in the grapeseed oil and the water.

Divide the lettuce among four bowls, add some of the onion and a quarter of the avocado. Drizzle with plenty of dressing and serve.