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Surprise!! Before you get all excited that we’re halfway through the week and that So You Think You Can Dance is on tonight (go, Melanie!), I’m sorry to tell you that it is Tuesday and that we’re just so excited to be home and back in our kitchens that we have a couple of extra recipes this week.
As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, a few weeks ago, I had Wendy’s Berry Chicken Salad for the first time and I loved it. I also realized that it was hardly rocket science and that putting my own version together couldn’t be too tricky, right? So much to my husband’s dismay that I wasn’t re-creating the Baconator (also known as the Widow Maker), I tossed together some fresh greens, strawberries, blueberries, toasted almonds, feta cheese, and this Berry Vinaigrette.
It ended up being the perfect summer dinner after a long day of working in the yard. He didn’t complain too much, although I’m pretty sure he quietly poured himself a bowl of cereal a few hours later.
First, I marinated some chicken breasts in some light Italian dressing and then grilled them up on the back patio. While they were cooking, I tossed some sliced almonds into a non-stick pan and toasted them over medium heat, stirring frequently, until they were light brown and fragrant. I rinsed the strawberries and blueberries and sliced the strawberries.
Then I tossed together some Romaine and baby spinach…
and added a handful of blueberries, some crumbled Feta cheese, and the toasted almonds.
If you’ve had the Wendy’s salad, you might be thinking, “Stupid Kate, that’s Parmesan, not feta in the Wendy’s salad.” Surprisingly, I do know my cheeses, I just prefer Feta in this salad. But freshly shaved Parmesan is also super delicious here, so use whatever you prefer.
Anyway. I topped the blueberries with the strawberries and then after the chicken was done, I let it stand for a few minutes and then I sliced it up and added it to the salad.
I served the dressing on the side, but if you’re making this all in a big bowl for a crowd and are serving it immediately, I’d recommend dressing the entire salad just to make things easier.
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Grilled Chicken & Berry Salad
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
Description
Boasting savory chicken, sweet berries, tangy feta, and topped with a berry poppyseed dressing, this recreation of Wendy’s Berry Chicken Salad is easy to make at home anytime!
Ingredients
1/2 head Romaine lettuce, washed and chopped into bite-sized pieces
6–8 ounces baby spinach
12–16 ounces chicken, marinated, grilled, and sliced*
8 ounces strawberries, sliced
8 ounces blueberries
4 ounces crumbled Feta or shredded fresh Parmesan cheese
1 cup sliced almonds, toasted
Berry Poppy Seed Dressing to taste
Instructions
For serving a large crowd, toss all the salad ingredients in a large serving bowl and add dressing to taste. For individual servings, arrange ingredients on plates and serve the dressing on the side. Makes about 8 side dish servings and 4 main dish servings.
*For a vegetarian dish, omit the chicken.
Keywords: salad, berries, summer salads, chicken
Cool! I love their new salads but haven’t tried this one yet. My fave is the Apple Pecan Chicken. Yummolicious!! Now if they’d only bring back the Mediterranean one from years ago, I’d be happy. LOL
OH MY GOSH, I know, right?!?! That and the Greek pita and my life would be complete.
I love that salad too. In fact, we are moving cross country (I was the one from the book signing leaving Ohio and going to Idaho) and I have already decided that is what I am eating for every meal. Hopefully keeping my traveler’s fanny to a minimum.
Thanks for sharing.
You totally got me- I saw your post and immediately thought- “Oh good, it’s Wednesday!” Then it sunk in. Nope, it’s just Tuesday. But yay for the extra post! Thanks 🙂 It’s time to make a new menu and this salad is on the top of the list. I can hardly wait to try it.
I don’t really like Melanie. Probably because she’s the obvious Judge Favorite. I was pulling for Nick, the tap dancer, but now that he’s gone, I will have to find a new favorite, I guess.
Oh, I loved Nick!!! I was so sad he got the boot. He was my favorite after Melanie.
Love it! I’m pretty sure my husband has a bowl of cereal or cookies and milk most nights no matter what I’ve made for dinner–burnt or perfect!
Oh looks so yummy. I’m always trying to find new salad ideas– we have been getting two heads of lettuce every week in our produce box lately. That’s a lot since my toddlers tend to be suspicious of salads. I bet they’d like this though. Who doesn’t like berries, right?
I love berry salads. Unfortunately my husband does not so I don’t get to make them that often.
I heart the cupcake activist! We made this for dinner last night. I could tell my husband was not excited about this concoction, but he was trying to be polite and not say anything about his skepticism. He ate it anyway and LOVED it! He said several times during the meal how much he liked it and said at the end…”This could be a restaurant meal.” It might have been the best compliment he’s ever given me. He really liked it.
Thanks for all your great recipes…They’re all so yummy. You’ve made cooking fun for me. Can’t wait to try the Fruit Pizza. might make it New York Style with a thin crust.
How beautiful everything looks mixed together! Yummy! Can’t wait to make that dressing it sounds delish! Thanks for the summer ideas I am always in need!
YUM!!! Thanks for a great idea, Kate! 🙂
Strawberry and feta salad is probably my all time favorite! We throw a little diced red onion in ours as well and the flavor combination is surprisingly really good.