This is one intentional salad. You’ll love how all the components for this Spring Salad with Sherry Dijon Dressing have been carefully selected to bring out the best in each other. It’s a great blend of flavors, textures and nutritional value to leave you feeling happy, healthy and satiated.
Let’s talk nutrition. The chicken is a great source of lean protein to keep you energized; and the lettuce, spring peas and potatoes are rich in essential vitamins and minerals yet low in calories. The feta cheese, pine nuts, and sherry dijon dressing provide a healthy source of brain boosting fats that are crucial to keeping you at the top of your game.
And when it comes to flavor and texture— you’ll love the acidic bite of the sherry dijon dressing as it stands alongside the rich, creamy feta and potatoes. Pair that with the crunchy peas, lettuce, and pine nuts, and you’ll know this salad did not come here to play.
Ingredient Substitutions
- No sherry vinegar? Red wine vinegar is a good substitute.
- Want it paleo? Skip the potatoes, or substitute hakurai turnips or radishes.
- No feta? Pecorino or parmesan would be great substitutes.
- If you don’t have pine nuts, toasted pumpkin seeds would taste good too.
- No chicken? A fresh cooked piece of fish, jammy egg, white anchovies or chickpeas would give you your protein fix.
Recipe Tips & FAQ’s
- To properly wash your salad greens, fill a large bowl with cold water. Submerge the greens and agitate them until all the dirt is washed off. Remove the greens from the water and use a salad spinner to dry them, or lay them on a clean towel and let them air dry for 15 minutes.
- If your salad dressing isn’t creamy, you might have added the oil too fast. One way to fix it is to place a raw egg yolk in a bowl and then very slowly drizzle the broken dressing in while you whisk rapidly.
- My pickled onions aren’t getting tender. What’s wrong with them? Salt, vinegar and time all play an important role in the process of pickling. If you skimped on any of those three things, just add more and wait a little longer.
Spring Salad Serving Suggestions
- Soup and Salad Combo: Tastes great with my Chicken & Wild Rice Soup.
- Serve with this Asparagus & Mushroom Frittata for a chic lunch/brunch situation.
- Swap out the roasted chicken breast for a freshly cooked piece of your favorite fish. Snapper, trout, branzino or salmon would all work well. Vegetarian? Chickpeas or lupini beans are great options.
Storage and Shelf Life
Fridge: The salad and dressing can be prepped ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator. Mix with the dressing once you’re ready to serve it.
Freezer: Due to the delicate nature of the ingredients, this salad will not do well in the freezer.
Final Thoughts
This Spring Salad with Sherry Dijon Dressing is the perfect to serve when you have company coming over and you want to feed them something nourishing and chic. Prepare your ingredients ahead of time and assemble the salad once you’re ready to serve. You’ll all feel good knowing that you’re getting such a flavorful and balanced meal.
Have you given this recipe a try? Please let us know what you thought in the comment section below.
Spring Salad with Sherry Dijon Dressing
Ingredients
- For the Dressing:
- 1/4 cup sherry vinegar
- 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup avocado oil
- sea salt to taste
- freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- For the Salad:
- 2 chicken breasts, boneless & skinless about 10 ounces
- 1/2 teaspoon avocado oil
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts raw
- 6 ounces fingerling potatoes
- ½ cup red onion, about a quarter of an onion sliced very thin
- 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
- 4 ounces snow peas or sugar snap peas
- 1/2 cup feta cheese crumbled
- 1 head red oak or red leaf lettuce washed
- sea salt to taste
- freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Make the Dressing: Combine the sherry vinegar, dijon mustard, onion powder and minced garlic in a bowl. Whisk together then slowly drizzle in the avocado and olive oil while whisking rapidly. The dressing should have a creamy consistency. Season with salt and pepper and refrigerate until needed.
- Cook the Chicken: Preheat the oven to 350˚. Heat a saute pan on medium high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, add the avocado oil to the pan and sear the chicken on both sides until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to the oven and cook until the chicken is 165˚, about 8 minutes.
- Toast the Pine Nuts: While the chicken is roasting, place the pine nuts on a small baking sheet and toast in the oven for 10-12 minutes, until golden brown, giving them a stir every 5 minutes.
- Pickle the Onions: Slice the onions as thinly as possible. Place them in a bowl and add the sherry vinegar and a ½ teaspoon of salt. Combine well and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes. They will soften and turn pink.
- Cook the Potatoes: Place the potatoes in a pot and cover with cold, salted water. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook uncovered until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 12-16 minutes, depending on their size.
- Cook the Peas: Trim the ends and remove the string if it’s fibrous. Fill a small mixing bowl with cold water and ice cubes. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the peas for 2-3 minutes. They should be bright green and still slightly crunchy. Drain from the boiling water and submerge in the ice water. Once they are cold, remove them from the water.
- Make the Salad: Slice or shred the chicken. Combine with the lettuce, feta cheese, pine nuts, pickled onions, potatoes and peas. Toss with your preferred amount of salad dressing, check for seasoning and enjoy. The salad and dressing can be prepared ahead of time, but only add dressing to the salad once you’re ready to serve it.
Hi, I’m Julia.
I’m a chef and wellness advocate passionate about helping others live well through nourishing food. I trained at the Culinary Institute of America and now work as a personal chef and community food advocate in Atlanta.
Want to know what inspired me to start Everyday Alchemy? Click the link icon below to read more.