My Maple Citrus Salad with Grilled Chicken is a colorful, delicious, no fuss dish that’s perfect for summer!
Thank you to Pure Canada Maple for sponsoring this blog post! As always, all opinions are 100% my own.
In the summertime, I tend to gravitate towards lighter meals. I love main course salads because they’re light and nutritious but still filling. And I can take advantage of all of the beautiful produce that’s abundant this time of year. My Maple Citrus Salad with Grilled Chicken is the perfect summer meal whether you’re entertaining or having a casual weekday dinner with your family. The salad dressing doubles as a marinade for the chicken and in the time it takes to grill the chicken, you can assemble the rest of the salad. It’s a colorful, delicious, no fuss dish that comes together in just about 30 minutes!
It’s so easy to make your own salad dressing at home- once you try it, you’ll never want to buy it at the store again! You just need oil, an acid (like vinegar or lemon juice), and an emulsifier (like mustard) to bind it all together. Then you simply add whatever seasonings you like such as herbs or sweeteners. For my Maple Citrus Dressing, I used a combination of citrus juice (orange, lemon, and lime) and cider vinegar for bright flavor. To sweeten the dressing, I used 100% pure maple syrup from Canada.
Maple syrup is one of my favorite natural sweeteners to use in my recipes because it has a rich flavor and it’s also vegan, as opposed to honey. 100% pure maple syrup from Canada is a natural sweetener that is derived directly from the maple tree’s sap. It contains several vitamins and minerals including riboflavin and manganese as well as several beneficial plant compounds, or polyphenols. One of these polyphenols, Quebecol, naturally forms when the sap is boiled to produce maple syrup. When consumed in moderation, maple syrup can be part of a healthy diet.
Although many of us traditionally think of maple syrup as a topping for pancakes and waffles, it actually can be used in a wide variety of both sweet and savory culinary applications. Check out some of my favorite maple syrup recipes from the blog at the end of this post!
In addition to functioning as a salad dressing, I also use the Maple Citrus Dressing as a quick marinade for the chicken. The dressing tenderizes the chicken and infuses it with rich flavor. Plus, the maple syrup helps the chicken get nice and caramelized on the grill, giving it even more flavor and a beautiful golden brown color.
I like to use mixed baby greens for this salad and I top them with slices of fresh orange and avocado. I found some lovely blood oranges at the market, so I added those to my salad too. Then I slice the chicken and arrange it on top. A final sprinkling of sliced almonds and dinner is ready!
Looking for some other dishes with maple syrup? Here are a few from the blog to get you started:
Peaches and Cream Baked Oatmeal
My Maple Citrus Salad with Grilled Chicken is a colorful, delicious, no fuss dish that's perfect for summer!
- 1/2 cup Maple Citrus Dressing and Marinade (see recipe below)
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast cutlets
- 5 ounces (1 container) mixed baby greens
- 1 avocado sliced
- 2 oranges sliced
- 2 tablespoons sliced almonds
Pour about ¼ cup of the dressing into a resealable plastic bag and add the chicken. Marinate the chicken for 10-15 minutes.
Heat a grill or grill pan over medium high heat and spray with cooking spray. Grill the chicken, 4-5 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Remove from grill and let rest for a few minutes.
To plate the salad, toss the greens with ¼ cup of the dressing. Arrange the avocado slices and orange slices on top. Slice the chicken and place them on the salad. Sprinkle with sliced almonds.
This versatile dressing not only is great on salads, it's also a delicious marinade for chicken.
Makes 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of dressing
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup from Canada
- ½ cup avocado or other neutral-flavored oil
- ¼ cup fresh orange juice
- ¼ cup fresh lemon or lime juice (or a mixture of both)
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
- 1 clove garlic
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
Blend the maple syrup, oil, orange juice, lemon juice, mustard, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper together in a blender until smooth. Use as a salad dressing or marinade.
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Grilled chicken is love!
It’s a good combination with maple citrus salad..