Chicken and Pear Salad5

Posted on December 3, 2007 by ChristieDinner Time, Gluten Free

Chicken and Pear Salad

I love salads at any time, but they’re even better in the summer. Balancing the creamy, salty and sweet flavours with a few ‘crunch’ ingredients is a delicate act.

This salad was inspired by a trip to the James Squire Brewhouse & Restaurant where I ate a peppered rare beef salad with apple and green mango. It got me thinking about the two juicy pears I had sitting in my fruit bowl… Can fruit and meat live happily together? The answer is yes.

I have to say, I think this salad would go down nicely with a tall glass of JS Pale Ale too!

Chicken and Pear Salad
serves 4 for a light lunch

2 skinless chicken breasts
1 baby cos lettuce
2 ripe green pears, thinly sliced
1 avocado, halved and sliced
200g Danish feta, sliced or crumbled
3 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar
½ cup olive oil
pinch of dark brown sugar
sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
chives to garnish (optional)

Whisk together the vinegar, oil and sugar. Season and set aside.

Thinly slice the chicken breasts on the diagonal and cook on a griddle pan for about 5 minutes, turning once. Or until crispy caramelised lines appear and the chicken is cooked all the way through on both sides.

Separate and wash the leaves of the baby cos lettuce and place onto serving plates. Divide up and layer the sliced pear, avocado, feta and chicken onto each salad. Whisk the vinegar mixture again and dress sparingly. Garnish with chives if desired.

5Comments

  1. Alice Kennedy says:
    December 10, 2007 at 9:10 pm

    Mmm I like the idea of fruit in salad but I hate pears – eww

    Any ideas for substitutes?

    Reply
  2. Christie says:
    December 10, 2007 at 9:22 pm

    Hi Alice,

    Why don’t you try grilling some sliced fresh peaches with the chicken?

    Or maybe grate over a crunchy granny smith apple. (Don’t forget to sprinkle it with lemon juice to prevent browning!)

    Cheers, Christie

    Reply
  3. Alice K says:
    December 11, 2007 at 2:33 pm

    Thanks for the fast feedback babe – I will do!

    Reply
  4. Vegan pear crumble cake | Fig & Cherry says:
    May 25, 2010 at 12:30 pm

    [...] and black pepper combination (V) - Pear wrapped in proscuitto w/ warm balsamic dressing (GF) - Chicken and pear salad (GF) – Caramelised pear porridge [...]

    Reply
  5. Anita Menon says:
    December 7, 2011 at 5:29 pm

    Congrats on your blog anniversary. The first post is always such a sweet moment to go back to. I loved your first post. Its very sweet.

    Reply

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