Romaine Salad with Chicken, Apricots & Mint

Made it,
Loved it.

Serving size 4

Prep Time

Total Time 40MIN

Ingredients

½ cup dried apricot
1 cup hot water
2 cup loosely packed mint leaves (about 1 bunch)
1 tsp orange zest
½ cup orange juice
2 Tbsp honey
4 tsp Dijon mustard
4 tsp red wine vinegar
½ tsp salt, or to taste
freshly ground pepper to taste
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed of fat
1 large head romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces (10 cup)
6 fresh apricots or plums, pitted and cut into wedges
1 cup loosely packed mint leaves (about 1/2 bunch), roughly chopped
½ cup sliced almonds, toasted (see tip)

Directions

1. Preheat grill.

2. To prepare marinade & dressing: Soak dried apricots in hot water for 10 minutes. Drain and transfer apricots to a food processor. Add 2 cups mint, orange zest, orange juice, honey, mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper. Process until smooth. With the motor running, gradually drizzle in oil. Reserve 1 cup for the dressing.

3. To prepare salad: Transfer the remaining marinade to a large sealable plastic bag. Add chicken, seal and turn to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.

4. Lightly oil the grill rack (hold a piece of oil-soaked paper towel with tongs and rub it over the grate). Grill the chicken over medium-high heat until no longer pink in the center, 6 to 8 minutes per side. (Discard the marinade.)

5. Meanwhile, combine lettuce, apricot (or plum) wedges and chopped mint in a large bowl. Add the reserved dressing and toss to coat. Divide the salad among 4 plates. Slice the chicken and arrange over the salads. Sprinkle with almonds and serve.

Tip: To toast almonds: Spread on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F until golden brown and fragrant, 5 to 7 minutes. Toasted almonds will keep, tightly covered, at room temperature for up to 1 week.