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I remember the days when weeknights meant sitting down to dinner altogether, playing a game, and then trundling the boys off to bed. Now that they are getting older, our two boys are involved in more activities. Juggling evening soccer and basketball practices with increased homework loads means that evenings are far less relaxed than they used to be. With less time on our hands, it becomes more important to have a repertoire of quick and easy or make-ahead entrees to fall back on. A few of our favorites are Chicken BLT Pasta Salad, Pork Skewers with Molasses and Dijon Mustard Glaze, and Teriyaki Flank Steak Sandwich. Now we can add this satisfying spinach salad to the list.
The salad is filled with shredded chicken, juicy oranges, and avocado. (Be sure to see How to: Segment an Orange.) I poached two boneless, skinless chicken breasts in boiling water for 10 to 12 minutes, then shredded the cooled chicken with my fingers. However, rotisserie, baked, or sauteed chicken breasts would work just as well. The dressing has a kick of garlic and onion, mixed with Asian flavors such as ginger, soy sauce, and rice vinegar. The chicken, oranges, and dressing can be prepared ahead of time. When dinnertime rolls around, all that is left to do is slice the avocado and toss all of the ingredients together. Serve the salad with whole-wheat dinner rolls or Focaccia with Caramelized Onion, Tomato and Rosemary for a full meal.
The recipe:
In a large bowl, toss together the spinach, chicken, orange, avocado, and jalapenos.
For the dressing, combine green onions, canola oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger in a blender and puree until the mixture is smooth, about 30 seconds.
Toss the salad with the dressing. Serve. It just doesn’t get any easier than that!
Other spinach salads:
Cookin’ Canuck’s Mushroom, Caramelized Onion & Cannellini Bean Spinach Salad
Cookin’ Canuck’s Spinach Salad with Fuyu Persimmons, Jicama & Avocado with Miso Dressing
Family Fresh Cooking’s Sweet Potato, Bacon & Pomegranate Salad
The Perfect Pantry’s Spinach Salad with Glazed Beets & Blue Cheese
Dianasaur Dishes’ Spinach Salad with Feta & Walnuts
From the kitchen of Cookin Canuck. www.cookincanuck.com
Ingredients
- 6 cups (packed) spinach leaves
- 2 cooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts, torn into strips
- 2 large navel oranges, cut into segments
- 1 small avocado, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1/2 red jalapeno pepper, minced
- 4 green onions (green & white parts), roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tsp minced fresh ginger
Instructions
- In a large bowl, toss together the spinach, chicken, orange, avocado, and jalapenos.
- For the dressing, combine all of the ingredients in a blender and puree until the mixture is smooth, about 30 seconds.
- Toss the salad with the dressing. Serve.
Notes
Dressing adapted from Bon Appetit Magazine.
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{ 45 comments… read them below or add one }
What a beautiful looking salad! Love it!!
Fantastic salad! I love the avocado in there.
Dara – this sounds so refreshing. And it is so light and I love the added oranges in there. Perfect for a weeknight meal or lunch for work!!
mmmm, can you say super healthy, yummy and delicious-looking? I need this today!
I love how fresh and bright this looks!
Sounds so light and refreshing!
Gorgeous pics and beautiful salad!
What a fabulous salad, and the dressing sounds so darn good. I never make salad dressing, I think I'll start with this one!
I love the fresh flavors you used in this salad… It looks so delicious and healthy! Plus, I can't resist anything with avocado… Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe!
Tasty, quick, AND healthy?! Love this!
Delicious and beautiful salad! It looks so fresh!
This salad has everything I love in it. Sounds like a perfect lunch!
I was just thinking how much I need ti make spinach salad soon…it's so delicious! Reminds me of the salads my mom made growing up with spinach from our garden
I just happen to have all the ingredients on hand think this might be lunch or dinner.
Hi Dara – that looks so delicious! We made a similar salad a couple weeks ago, vegetarian: with almonds instead of chicken, for National Wear Red Day.
http://www.tastewiththeeyes.com/2011/02/what-are-you-wearing-today/
Your photos are awesome, as usual!
spinach + avocado + orange is a great combination!
LL
Fantastic combination not to mention how many nutrients this has!
Love the fresh combination of flavors – this is going in my MUST make file!
This combination of flavors sounds delicious! I actually have all of the ingredients in my kitchen right now to make this salad…I'm thinking it would be perfect for lunch tomorrow
Wow, that looks absolutely fantastic! I'm not typically a fan of fruit in salads, but it seems to me that I'd be satisfied with this combination. I loooove avocado and chicken. Thanks for sharing!
A perfect florida salad, and now with your orange section technique this will be a snap!
Love the combination of flavors in this healthy salad.
Perfectly light and healthy – I love it!
This sounds like a yummy lunch or a light dinner! Looks great, Dara!
Beautiful salad ~ great pics! This time of year, after all the holidays, I'm usually craving some good roughage! Spinach salads are the best!
Your salad looks fabulous!!! The perfect combination of ingredients~
Thanks so much for all of your comments. This salad comes together so easily and reminds me that, sometimes, simple is best.
there is nothing I don't love in that salad! I might throw some pecans in there though:)
It's so simple, so clean looking, so good!
This has two of my favorite veggies…spinach and avocado…so yum! Thank you for sharing your words and this recipe. And thank you for your kind thoughts on my own blog. I appreciate you!
Hi CC…this salad is light and refreshing…love it especially spinach and avocado and the mandarin slices…ohhhh great salad. Thanks for sharing something good like this
Have a nice day ,
Elin
Love that fresh plate of healthy salad! Avocado and spinach is a good combo.
This is so refreshing! It makes me long for Spring, which I know is coming…sooner or later!
What's not to love about a dish that's easy to prepare and has avocado in it? YUM!
That looks really delicious! I love Avocado
Just wanted to tell you I made this for dinner last night and it was wonderful. I added some crunch with the crunchy Chinese noodles. Also I have a better way of getting the avocado out of it's skin, wasn't sure if you did that for the picture if not check this post out http://www.you-made-that.com/guacamole/
Sounds fab! Love the orange in this.
Love the combination of avocado and orange! Can't wait to try this soon!
I know exactly what you are talking about Dara – I also have two teenagers in sports and it is a rare thing for us to all have dinner together during the week. This salad is a perfect solution to the dilemma and I will be adding it to my dinner list!!!
Dara, this is certainly the way to make sure that you have healthy food available at all times. You had most of the ingredients all ready to go & then easily added the more delicate ones. This salad is gorgeous & I will be sure to add it to our family meals
A well rounded main course salad!
Hi Dara, the salad just looks beautiful, simple to prepare too, perfect for busy nights.
This time of year, I often make a similar salad with ingredients from my home garden and those of my generous neighbors. But I've never tried it with the sort of innovative, Asian-inspired dressing you've used here, which sounds so very appealing. Must do … tonight!
This looks so yummy! I love fruit in a salad!
What a gorgeous salad! The salad dressing sounds so flavorful and sooo good. I'm definitely going to try it out.
my nites are so short, I'm not sure I would have time to put this lovely salad together…. love spinach, chicken with oranges and with your spin, the jalapenos and dressing, this is a real treat….
Yum! This is definitely my kind of salad. My oldest adores salad and I'm sure he would love this one; especially with the fruit in it.
Beautiful salad. I love the colors! you are always so inspiring. I love your recipes.
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