On a hot summer day, nothing is better than a refreshing Summer salad! This salad is easy to fix and full of bold flavors and textures. It features a crisp salad with candied pecans, brie cheese and Granny Smith apples, topped with grilled, blackened chicken and a robust chipotle dressing.
Candied Pecans
This first step is to candy the pecans, and you can do this well ahead of time.
Ingredients:
- 1 egg white
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 t nutmeg
- 1/2 t cinnamon
- 1/4 t salt
- 1/2 cup whole pecans
Whisk the egg white for a few seconds, then add the seasoning and whisk to dissolve. Stir in pecans to coat. Spread on a cookie sheet in a single layer and put in a 325 oven for about 25 minutes. When done, remove from the oven and pull the pecans out of the candy mixture before it hardens, setting aside on a bowl or plate. You’ll need some hot water to clean the sugar/egg mixture off the cookie sheet!
Chipotle Dressing
You can also make the dressing ahead of time and refrigerate.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 1 1/2 T chicken broth
- 1/2 T soy sauce
- 1 T fresh lemon juice
- 1 T minced canned chipotle chilies (in adobo sauce)
- 1 T abodo sauce (from can)
- 1 t brown sugar
- Mix together and place in the fridge. Once it cools down, stir again, taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
Blackened Chicken Breasts
Take a few chicken breasts and generously coat with the following blackening spice.
Ingredients:
- 2 t paprika
- 4 t dried thyme
- 2 t onion powder
- 2 t garlic powder
- 1 T sugar
- 2 t salt
- 2 t black pepper
- 1 t ground cayenne pepper
- 1 t dried oregano
- 1 t cumin
Turn your grill on high and toss on the breasts, turning and rotating every 4 minutes until they are done and you have a nice char. Slice against the grain and prepare the rest of salad.
Salad Base
Ingredients:
- Romaine lettuce (torn up small)
- Other mixed lettuce or spinach leaves
- 1/2 thinly sliced Granny Smith Apple
- 2-3 ounces Brie cheese, sliced in thin wedges
Arrange the lettuce on the plates. Top with pecans, sliced apple and Brie wedges. Lay sliced blackened chicken over the salad and top with chipotle dressing.
