Cherry Chicken Salad

Here's a fantastic recipe where you can use any cherry preserve that you have on hand. Since sour cherry preserves are my favourite, they are my "go to preserve" to use when making this delicious salad. In this recipe, boneless, skinless chicken breasts are marinated in a fruity marinade of cherry preserves, white balsamic vinegar, olive oil, garlic, brown sugar and salt. Pan fried until cooked and golden brown, sliced and served over a mix of seasonal greens. The finishing touch is a drizzle of balsamic cherry dressing and, if desired, a sprinkle of goat cheese.

No ratings yet

Print Recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Marinating time: 1

Total Time 1 30

Course brunch, dinner, lunch, salad

Cuisine American, Canadian

Servings servings

Calories 425 kcal

Equipment

1 large frying pan

Ingredients

To marinate the chicken:

½ cup white balsamic vinegar most grocery stores carry this in their vinegar isle
¼ cup olive oil
2 medium garlic cloves minced
⅓ cup cherry preserves or jam I like to use my home-canned sour cherry preserves or our easy cherry jam recipe
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
4 small skinless, boneless chicken breasts tenders removed. If you use large chicken breasts you will have to adjust the cooking time.

To fry the chicken:

1 tablespoon olive oil

For the salad:

4 cups baby spinach or substitute baby swiss chard
4 cups arugula or substitute mesclun mix salad greens
1 large fennel bulb trimmed, cored and sliced thin. If you don't have fennel you can substitute ½ cup sliced celery or ¼ cup fresh Tarragon leaves.
2 cups red seedless grapes halved

For the dressing:

¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar Sometimes I use a flavoured white balsamic vinegar like cranberry pear
2 tablespoons cherry preserves I use my sour cherry preserves or my easy cherry jam recipe
1 medium garlic clove minced
2 small shallots minced or finely chopped
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Optional ingredient:

¼ cup soft goat cheese crumbled

Instructions

Whisk together the vinegar, olive oil, garlic, cherry preserves, brown sugar and salt. Pour over the chicken breasts, cover and refrigerate.
Marinate for 6 to 24 hours. Turn the chicken occasionally to make sure that all the chicken is covered.
Remove the chicken from the marinade and let the excess drip off. Put on a plate and set aside.
Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan on high heat.
Pan fry the chicken 6-8 minutes a side, until the chicken is browned (note: at this high heat it will cook to a very dark brown colour) and cooked through. (An internal temperature of 165°F.)
Transfer to a clean plate.
Divide the spinach, arugula, fennel and grapes amongst 4 plates.
Whisk the olive oil, vinegar, cherry preserves, garlic, shallots and salt in pepper in a small bowl.
Top greens with chicken and top with dressing.

Nutrition

Calories: 425kcalCarbohydrates: 65gProtein: 4gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 815mgPotassium: 767mgFiber: 4gSugar: 48gVitamin A: 3418IUVitamin C: 26mgCalcium: 132mgIron: 3mg

Keyword arugula, cherry preserves, chicken breast, sour cherry preserves, spinach

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!