Miso Ginger Salad with Grilled Chicken
Perfectly moist and flavorful chicken on a fresh crunchy salad is one my favorite meals to have for lunch. So refreshing, healthy, and filling, with flavors that are bright and pack a punch! If you have time, I recommend marinating your chicken for at least three hours as it will absorb the delicious herby, tangy, and sweet marinade to the max.
Yields: 4-6 servings
Total Time: 1 ½ hours
Ingredients:
Chicken
4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup, plus 2 tablespoons of high quality balsamic vinegar
4 minced garlic cloves
2 tablespoons of packed light brown sugar
1 ½ teaspoons of fresh thyme, chopped
1 ½ teaspoons of fresh rosemary, chopped
1 teaspoon of kosher salt
8 grinds of black pepper
4 organic boneless, skinless chicken breasts, slightly pounded to an even thickness
Dressing
¼ cup of grapeseed oil
¼ cup of rice vinegar
3 tablespoons of sweet miso
1 tablespoons of sesame oil
3 medium sized carrots, peeled and chopped
1 inch long piece of fresh ginger, thickly sliced
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Salad
3 cups of spinach
4 cups of mixed greens
1 cup of red cabbage, sliced
4 green onions, chopped
2 kirby cucumbers, sliced into thin rounds
1 cup of grape tomatoes, halved
1 avocado, sliced
Instructions:
Mix together all of the ingredients for the chicken marinade (the first 8 listed ingredients) in a large bowl.
Pound your pat dried chicken breasts in between two sheets of plastic wrap. Pound them until they are around 1 ½ inches thick.
Place the chicken breasts and the marinade in a plastic bag and refrigerate for at least one hour (3-6 hours is best).
For the dressing, combine all of the ingredients into a blender or food processor and pulse until mostly smooth, you want some texture! Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Heat a grill pan over medium heat. Once hot, place the chicken breasts on the pan and discard any excess chicken marinade. Flip chicken breasts over after 7 minutes. (Wipe the pan often to prevent the excess marinade from burning). Cook until the breasts reach 165º F (around 8 minutes), check temperature often with a digital thermometer. Place chicken breasts onto a cutting board and let rest for 3 minutes. Then, cut into 1 inch thick strips.
While the chicken is resting, in a large bowl toss together the lettuces, cabbage, green onions, cucumber, and tomato until evenly distributed throughout the salad. Add in the miso ginger dressing to an amount of your liking. Place slices of avocado and chicken on the top of the dressed salad and serve immediately!
