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Made it for girls’ night and have been craving it since! Everything went well together and the dressing was creamy but fresh! Yum
Natalya
Stating the obvious: It’s winter.
It’s very, very, very much winter. Like, I’m sitting here looking outside at the snow-covered ground and feeling okay about it because it’s actually a “really nice day” here in Minnesota – we might even get up to 25 degrees. I KNOW, RIGHT? We’re that far gone. Winter has messed with our reasoning abilities.
But good news – the cure is coming at you today in the form of a big bowl of *spa salad* loaded with chickpeas, spinach, pomegranates, Cara Cara oranges (and specifically those if you can find them because they are ON POINT), avocado, thinly sliced shallots, a fistful of herbs, a drizzle of light creamy dressing, and grilled lemon chicken.
If it’s wrong to want this for a mid-morning snack, I don’t want to be right.
RALLY THE TROOPS! Let’s do this.
Are these pink/orange Cara Cara oranges not the most gorgeous food you’ve ever laid eyes on? Bonus – they are also nature’s candy.
Katy (our new shoot assistant – uhhhh yeah, this just in – WE HAVE A SHOOT ASSISTANT 🙏) peeled the oranges for this salad the day before our photo shoot, and then I had to text her the next morning and ask her to stop at the store again because, um, Katy? yeah, about the Cara Cara oranges that you peeled. I ate all them all.
Oh my sweet goodness, they are heavenly.
Sometimes these elusive oranges might require you to drive to a different grocery store, which is something that you are totally rejecting right now in your mind and yes, okay, I get it. I’m the same way 99 times out of 100. But guys, think about this. We may not make it to a real spa anytime in the near future and this food version of spa-dom (complete with CC oranges) needs to happen. This is that other ONE TIME out of 100 that I’ll tell you to go the extra mile for that second grocery store.
Plus, beyond the taste, I’m pretty sure the name “Cara Cara oranges” in and of itself earns you full-blown Diva Status.
Spa salad, tho? Seriously. It doesn’t even matter what that really means because the only thing you need to know about it is fork -> mouth -> fork -> mouth -> repeat.
Onwards, spa queen.
Winter Spa Salad with Lemon Chicken
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
Winter Spa Salad with Lemon Chicken! Loaded with chickpeas, spinach, pomegranates, Cara Cara oranges, avocado, shallots, herbs, dressing, and lemon chicken.
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 cara cara oranges, peeled and cut into pieces
- 1 avocado, cut into slices
- 1/2 cup pomegranate arils
- 2 cups spinach, torn or cut into small pieces
- 1 14-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 shallot, thinly sliced
- a handful of chopped fresh herbs like parsley or mint
For the Chicken Marinade:
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- juice of one half of a lemon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the Dressing:
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise or Greek yogurt
- 1–2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, or other grainy mustard
- salt, pepper, and/or honey to taste
Instructions
- Whisk marinade ingredients together. Place in a bowl with the chicken, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes (while prepping other stuff) or as long as 2 hours.
- Whisk the dressing ingredients together.
- Heat the oil in a pan or pre-heat a griddle. Discard extra marinade from chicken and grill the chicken pieces until cooked through. Let stand for a few minutes to cool before cutting.
- Toss all other salad ingredients, including chicken, together with the dressing! Season with additional salt and pepper and maybe a drizzle of good olive oil. Easy peasy.
Notes
If going sugar free is important to you, make sure to look for a sugar-free mustard.
The dressing, especially if you use the Greek yogurt, can be really tangy. You can offset this by using less vinegar or mustard or adding more sweetness with honey to taste.
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: winter salad, salad with chicken, lemon chicken
One More Thing!
This recipe is part of our yummy spinach recipes page. Check it out!
This is just looking fabulous , I would replace the meat with some tofu cubes that are sautéed in little olive oil and spices . A perfect salad for my healthy journey,and i just so so much love avocados in any form!
Hugs from wintery London!
Me too, Siri! 🙂 Thanks for the comment!
Our Super Bowl Salad and everyone is excited to eat it up!
So yum! I want a spa salad! Love the name and the idea. This looks incredible and I want it for lunch!
Thanks Emily! 🙂
Ummmm. This is the prettiest salad. EVER.
Thank you Jennifer!
This is a great staple that you can change up for various options- Change the citrus fruit, or use berries instead of pomegranate… I am excited to try this and play around with ingredients.
Thanks Holly! I agree – always love adaptable, flexible recipes!
This looks heavenly. Cara Caras + avocados + anything= good winter day.
Right? Thanks Allyson! 🙂
This looks awesome – I think I’d roast the chickpeas so they’d be nice and crunchy. Mmm.
I like how you think Megan. I like it a lot.
THIS. Possibly the most beautiful salad I have EVER seen. Bravo!
Thanks Kit!
Hahaha that title. Perfect. And those colors…that could snap any gal outta a winter coma
Thanks Brittany! 🙂 Winter coma – perfect description.
I have such a hard time committing to healthy foods this time of year. This is exactly what I need!
Kari
http://www.sweetteasweetie.com
Right?? It’s gotta be REALLY good for me to want to eat it, especially if it’s not warm…
Sounds like a great combination for a salad!
Kisses from http://poshnessary.com ❤
I absolutely love your sense of humor and whenever I read your post it’s like you’re talking to me right here by my side! And though I have no idea, nor ever heard of such oranges, I loved the amazing looks of this salad. It’s eyes’ spa and hopefully stomach spa as well!
I picked a Cara Cara orange up at the store on a whim today, with your post fresh in my mind. OMG, you are right – so sweet and tart! Thanks for the new citrus discovery!
Is it too weird to welcome Katy to the POY team. Or rather, the POY family? Which is all the same thing. That must be so awesome for you to have an assistant…plus, I am so jealous of her, especially if she gets to eat any of the delicious leftovers from the shoots, like this scrumptious-looking salad!
Yum! I’m always in the mood for something other than a plain Jane salad and this salad looks like it’s just loaded with fantastic flavors and textures. I’ve never had a cara cara orange, buttt it looks like it’s amazing!
The colors of this salad are beautiful! Citrus + avocado on a salad is a match made in heaven
What a salad! and What a name! Winter Spa… I just love it! I would like to come up with such clever names like you. Such a delicious salad!
Of all the salad recipes you have, this might be my favorite! So beautiful!!
Thanks, Lauren!
This looks amazing! Can’t wait to try it!
I’m on an orange eating roll right about now but I don’t think I’ve ever had a Cara Cara?! Must. Remedy. And my first should most definitely be in this gorg salad!
Yaaaas, spa queens! Thanks for the beauty and style of this recipe. Looks so wonderful.
Chinese New Year is just around the corner over here, and that means pigging out BIG time, so I’m literally collecting all the delicious looking clean-eating recipes I can get my hands on – this fits the bill! Looks great, I might just have it even before the pigging out begins. Thanks for sharing!
Oh happy day! This will be my work salad for the next week.
Aha! What a beautiful and delicious looking salad!
My co-workers and I just started a “clean eating” lunch club where we take turns bringing meals to share. This is going on my list! Not sure if I can find CC oranges here in Hawaii though.
Mmmm, I love a good chicken salad!