Grape and Chicken Salad

MAKE the MOST of the SEASON

Seasonal fruit is such an amazing ingredient to enjoy while at it’s best. It’s more affordable, easily accessible and much tastier, than when it’s not in season anymore. Another reason why it’s best to eat food that’s in season, is that the nutritional value of the ingredients is optimal. 

Fresh fruit is also quite versatile. Have you used it in a salad before? No, not a fruit salad for dessert or as part of breakfast, but as a savoury meal. 

Fruit is a delicious and healthy ingredient that can be added to many different meals. The natural sweetness of the fruit combines really well with meat, like chicken and pork. Choose between grapes, berries, strawberries, peaches, mango, nectarines or even pineapple as the fruit in this recipe. The dressing has a hint of spice from the curry powder that complements both the fruit and chicken perfectly. If you have never used fresh fruit in a salad, then don’t miss this lovely recipe from Heleen Meyer.

 Grape & Chicken salad

Recipe by Heleen Meyer for Let’s Talk, by Pharma Dynamics

Serves 4

 45 ml (3 tbsp) olive oil

20 ml (4 tsp) apple cider or white wine vinegar

2,5 ml (½ tsp) mild curry powder

10 ml (2 tsp) honey

pinch of salt

black pepper to taste

200 g broccoli, cut into florets

320 g (800 ml) shredded cooked chicken (see tip)

150 g red grapes, halved or whole

150 g white grapes, halved or whole

½ cucumber, halved and cut into thin diagonal slices

½ small cabbage, quartered and sliced

2 celery stalks, cut into thin diagonal slices

2 large handfuls salad leaves, like rocket, watercress and baby spinach

60 ml (¼ cup) sunflower seeds, toasted (see tip)

1. Mix together oil, vinegar, curry powder, honey and salt to make a salad dressing. Season with black pepper.

2. Place broccoli in a shallow dish and cover with boiling water. Allow to stand for a few minutes until lightly cooked, but still crunchy. Drain and rinse in cold water or repeat the process if it is not cooked enough yet.

3. Arrange broccoli with the rest of the salad ingredients on a large platter or in individual bowls. Sprinkle with seeds and serve as a meal with the dressing.

 Tips:

1. To prepare juicy chicken: Heat a thin layer of oil over a medium heat in a saucepan and fry 3 chicken breasts on the bone until golden brown but not cooked. Reduce the heat and add 80 ml (⅓ cup) Rooibos tea and a bay leaf. Cover with a lid and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until just cooked. Remove from the heat and shred or cut in smaller pieces to use for any recipe that requires cooked chicken. Keep the cooking liquid to use as a stock. Chicken fillets can be prepared in the same way – simmer covered for only 5-7 minutes.

2. Toast sunflower seeds: Toast in a single layer in a frying pan, without any oil, over a medium heat. Toast until golden brown, tossing the pan regularly, taking care as the seeds can burn easily. While you are toasting the seeds, prepare double and store in a jar to use for another meal.

3. If there is any leftover salad dressing, use over lightly cooked veggies like green beans or cauliflower.

Visit Heleen’s website for more recipes like this.

Image by Myburgh du Plessis