Chicken & Blueberry Salad

with Goat Cheese, Sweet Onions, Toasted Almonds and a Cherry Malbec Vinaigrette

I went to the kitchen the other day to find myself some lunch … started pulling things out of the fridge and this is what came of it. I made my daughter a pretty salad with just lettuce and strawberries too while I was at it. I cooked her up a piece of salmon too. I thought about putting some salmon on my salad, but decided that chicken would go better with the blueberries.

For the dressing, I decided on my Cherry Malbec Vinaigrette … I think you could probably make the dressing with blueberries in place of the cherries and it would go even better with this particular salad, but the cherry taste was quite nice on there too.

Chicken & Blueberry Salad with Goat Cheese, Sweet Onions & Toasted Almonds

• 1 hot, cooked chicken patty (or boneless chicken breast if you prefer) for each serving
• Mixed greens
• Fresh blueberries
• Sweet onions, sliced thin
• Almonds, lightly toasted
• Goat cheese crumbles
• Cherry Malbec Vinaigrette Salad Dressing (recipe below)
• Violets or other edible flowers for garnish (optional)

Cook up your chicken. While that’s cooking, fill a salad bowl most of the way with greens. Top with as many blueberries as you desire, then sprinkle with sweet onions, almonds, and crumbles of goat cheese. Chop up and add the chicken, drizzle with the dressing, and  garnish with flowers just before serving.

Cherry Malbec Vinaigrette

This is the dressing I used in my Cherry Beef Salad. You can make it with blueberries in place of the cherries if you prefer.

• 10 sweet cherries, pitted
• 1/4 cup Malbec (or other red wine)
• 2 Tablespoons cherry (or berry) syrup
• 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
• a few fresh basil leaves
• a few sprigs of fresh thyme
• a few sprigs of fresh dill
• 1/4 teaspoon Sriracha
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon chia seeds (optional, but they add nutritional value and help thicken the dressing)

In a handi chopper, blender or food process, blend up all the ingredients well till the cherries and garlic are fully pureed. Store in a covered bottle in the fridge.

This recipe was shared at Scrumptious Sundays, Summer Salad Sundays, Manic Monday and Made it by Monday.