Oh, the flavors! This salad is a party in a bowl, perfect for a main meal or a holiday gathering. There are so many layers of deliciousness in this recipe starting with an orange juice, cider vinegar, shallot and sundried tomato marinade for the chicken thighs. Then there are the healthy greens like baby spinach and a hefty helping of feta and mozzarella cheeses. The dressing is actually the drippings from the pan-grilled chicken, so it’s loaded with flavor through and through. This dish didn’t start out as a salad. It was actually originally a hot Tuscan skillet where the chicken breasts are stuffed with the cheeses, spinach and tomatoes. But I decided to switch it up and turn it into a refreshing salad with warm flavorful chicken tossed in.

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Marinated Chicken, Sundried Tomato & Spinach Salad

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Ingredients

For the Vinaigrette:

• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, not oil-packed (approximately 2 ounces)
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons orange juice
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons chopped shallot
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

For the Marinated Chicken:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large Vidalia or sweet yellow onion, diced fine
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 large boneless chicken thighs
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons pepper
• 2 cups sundried tomatoes, chopped very fine
• 4 cups spinach, roughly chopped
• 2 cups Feta cheese
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese

For the Salad:

• 2 cups spinach, roughly chopped
• 1 cup dates or dried figs, chopped fine
• 1 romaine lettuce, roughly chopped

• For the Salad:
• 2 cups roughly chopped spinach
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup dates or dried figs chopped fine
• 1 large head romaine lettuce

Servings Ingredients For the Vinaigrette: 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, not oil-packed (approximately 2 ounces) 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 3 tablespoons orange juice 2 tablespoons cider vinegar 2 tablespoons chopped shallot 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper For the Marinated Chicken: 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 large Vidalia or sweet yellow onion, diced fine 2 cloves garlic, minced 8 large boneless chicken thighs 2 tablespoons butter 2 teaspoons salt 2 teaspoons pepper 2 cups sundried tomatoes, chopped very fine 4 cups spinach, roughly chopped 2 cups Feta cheese 2 cups mozzarella cheese For the Salad: 2 cups spinach, roughly chopped 1 cup dates or dried figs, chopped fine 1 romaine lettuce, roughly chopped For the Salad: 2 cups roughly chopped spinach 2 cups mozzarella cheese 1 cup dates or dried figs chopped fine 1 large head romaine lettuce

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Instructions

1. Make the vinaigrette. In a mini-food processor, add the sun-dried tomatoes, oil, orange juice, vinegar, shallot, salt and pepper. Process until smooth. Marinate the chicken in the vinaigrette for 30 minutes. In a large skillet over medium heat, add oil and sauté the onion until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to sauté until onions are caramelized, about 5 more minutes. Spoon the mixture into a bowl and set aside. In the same skillet, add the butter and cook the chicken thighs, searing to a deep golden brown. Add the finely diced sundried tomatoes, 4 cups of chopped spinach, feta, mozzarella, sautéed onion and garlic. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Lower the heat, cover and cook until the chicken reads 165 degrees on a meat thermometer. Remove the chicken to a cutting board. When cool enough to handle, dice or rough chop the thighs. In a large bowl, add 2 cups of spinach, the chopped romaine, dates or figs, and the cooled chicken. Scrape and spoon out the drippings from the skillet and toss into the salad. Add more salt, pepper and olive oil as needed. Serves 6-8.

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