I’m not sure what’s the best part of this shredded chicken spinach salad with date dressing, the salad or the dressing. All I know is that it’s made it into my weekly menu for 3 weeks in a row and it’s not going away anytime soon. For those of you find it hard to incorporate veggies into your diets challenging, this one’s perfect because it makes eating clean feel like a treat. Also, because I use a rotisserie chicken, no cooking is required and it comes together pretty quickly. I sometimes add leftover quinoa or rice, but it’s totally optional. However, do to take the time to make the luscious creamy date balsamic vinaigrette, you can re-use it as a glaze for chicken, duck breasts, beef…or for another salad.
Ingredients
- 8 cups (240g) baby spinach, washed and dried
- 1 cup leftover rice or quinoa
- 1 grated carrot
- 2 Persian cucumbers, cut into slices
- 1/2 rotisserie chicken, skinned and shredded
- 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
Dressing
- 1/4 cup good quality balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/3 cup oil
- 6 pitted Medjool dates, soaked in hot water for an hour
Instructions
- Blend all the dressing ingredients in a high-speed blender until completely smooth, about 30 seconds. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Mix the spinach, quinoa, carrot and cucumbers in a large bowl. Add the pomegranate and shredded chicken on top.
- When ready to serve, spoon 1/3 of the dressing and toss. Add more dressing if necessary. It keeps well in a bottle for a few days in the fridge.