Cilantro Lime Chicken Salad

Are you bloated with fried cheesy food from the weekend? Are you craving healthy light spring like salads like me? Well look no further, I have got a glorious Cilantro Lime Chicken Salad that is healthy AND delicious!

There are a few benefits to paying an exorbitant “sunshine” tax here in California. The first is of course the good weather, and the second is the ability to garden year around. So when my salad craving hit, I simply had to step outside and pick some of our freshly grown produce.

Currently our garden is bursting with persian limes (they look like lemons but are actually a lime), lettuce, carrots, radishes, swiss chard and herbs. Hence where the inspiration for this post came from. I simply marinated a few chicken breasts with lime juice and cilantro, and quickly threw it on the grill.

While grilling I blended together this delicious lime cilantro salad dressing. It is fresh, flavorful, and delicious. It would also make a great marinade.

To add a bit more substance to the salad I also added some quinoa and radishes. It totally fit the bill and instantly gave me a burst of energy. Exactly what I needed after a weekend of brews and fatty appetizers!!!

Print

Cilantro Lime Chicken Salad

Ingredients

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Dressing

• 1 jalapeño pepper , seeded and coarsely chopped
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1/3 cup honey
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 1/2 cup packed cilantro leaves
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salad

• 1 cup cooked quinoa
• 2 radishes , finely sliced
• 1 head of lettuce
• 3 radishes , finely chopped
• 1/4 cup finely chopped green onions

Instructions

1. In a shallow dish, combine lime juice, olive oil, cilantro and salt.
2. Add chicken and cover and refrigerate to marinate for at least 30 minutes (flipping after 15).
3. Grill or bake your chicken until fully cooked.
4. While chicken is cooking, add all of the dressing ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.
5. Assemble your salad with a layer of lettuce, quinoa, chopped chicken, sliced radishes and green onions.
6. Pour dressing and serve immediately.