This Cherry Chicken Salad recreates a meal I had in Door County, Wisconsin. It’s a souvenir recipe that calls to mind sunset trails, hikes along the shore, and fun with family. It’s got bold flavors and adheres to the fruit, nut, and cheese school of salad making.
The tart cherry and goat cheese combo is what got me. Sweet and tangy to start, with a creamy funk finish. Then there’s crunchy punctuation from maple glazed walnuts. Grilled chicken on top makes it a main course salad.
But it’s the cherries that make it special. The dried tart cherries are chewy nuggets bursting with fruit flavor. And cherry vinaigrette is the big finish that ties it all together. It’s sweet-tart and savory with the colors of a sunset.
My recipe is inspired by the Cherry Walnut salad at the Wild Tomato restaurant in Fish Creek, WI. It’s a spot I associate with nearby Peninsula State Park, a great place to soak up the sun and then watch it set over Green Bay. The salad definitely has summer vibes. But the weirdly warm temps this February had me outdoors grilling to satisfy my craving.
While Cherry Chicken Salad is an ode to summertime, it works any time, relying on dried cherries and cherry preserves. The seared flavor of grilled chicken is definitely part of the gestalt. But cooking the chicken indoors on a grill pan is a good option.
The grilled chicken on top makes this a “big salad.” But even without the meat, it’s a scrumptious salad that’s really all about that fruit, nut, and cheese trio.
More Please?
- I’m digging www.hellodoorcounty.com for up to date information on visiting Door County, WI. There’s good stuff about cherry blossoms, state parks and more.
- My go-to move for boneless skinless chicken breasts is to pound them out to an even thickness before cooking. Here’s an article on Serious Eats about the reasons why.
- Be mindful of food safety when marinating.
Cherry Chicken Salad
Ingredients
Cherry Vinaigrette
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 Tablespoons cherry preserves
- 3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt more to taste
- pinch black pepper
Grilled Chicken
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound)
- 1/3 cup marinade
Salad
- about 4 cups lettuce, torn, more or less as desired
- 1/2 cucumber, peeled and diced
- 1/4 cup dried tart cherries
- 1/4 cups maple glazed walnuts (recipe below)
- 4 Tablespoons goat cheese
Instructions
Maple Glazed Walnuts
- Prepare maple glazed walnuts according to recipe below. Set aside 1/4 cup for salad. Save remainder for snacking.
Cherry Vinaigrette
- Combine all ingredients for the vinaigrette in a small bowl or immersion blending jar. Mix for several seconds with an immersion blender until vinaigrette is smooth. Alternatively, whisk the ingredients together until combined, though pieces of cherry from the preserves will remain. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Grilled Chicken
- Put chicken breasts in a large ziplock bag. Use flat side of a meat mallet to pound the chicken into an even thickness, about 1/2 inch thick. Use moderate force on top (smooth) side of chicken to avoid tearing the meat. Repeat as needed until both pieces of chicken reach desired thickness. Ensure the ziplock bag has no holes or tears.
- Use 1/3 cup of the cherry vinaigrette as a marinade. Pour the marinade into the ziplock bag with the chicken. Seal the bag. Manipulate the chicken in the bag so both pieces are entirely coated with the marinade. Place the bag upright in the refrigerator. Allow chicken to marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.
- Prepare grill and preheat to cook over direct medium heat. Remove chicken from bag and discard marinade. Grill chicken until cooked through, flipping the pieces and rearranging them as needed. Total grill time is likely 10 to 15 minutes, use a thermometer to check temperature for doneness.
- Once done, remove chicken from the grill. Allow chicken to rest for about 5 minutes. Slice or dice chicken for serving on salad.
Salad Assembly
- Prepare enough lettuce for two large salads. Wash lettuce and tear into smaller pieces. Dry lettuce and divide between two serving plates.
- Wash and peel cucumber. Quarter and dice into small pieces. Add to lettuce.
- Sprinkle dried tart cherries and maple glazed walnuts over lettuce.
- Use a spoon to dollop small pieces of goat cheese over the salads.
- Place sliced chicken breast on top of each salad.
- Pour vinaigrette over salad(s) or serve it on the side.
Notes
- Be mindful of food safety regarding the marinade. Use 1/3 cup of the vinaigrette as a marinade, and discard the marinade after use. Also, marinate the chicken in a resealable plastic bag or other food-safe, non-reactive container.
- Pounding the chicken breasts to an even thickness has several benefits including tenderizing, faster cooking times, and more even cooking.
- If you prefer, rather than grilling the chicken, cook it over medium-high heat in a non-stick skillet on the stovetop.
- Variations: Omit the chicken. Or skip the marinade, and cover pounded chicken pieces with olive oil and salt (plus any other desired seasonings) before grilling. Try feta in place of goat cheese. Use your favorite bottled salad dressing in place of the homemade cherry vinaigrette. Substitute another fresh vegetable for the cucumber or add in more fresh vegetables. In the salad pictured above, I added some thinly sliced red cabbage.
- Use your preferred type of lettuce or mixed salad greens. I often use a blend including iceberg for crunch and red lettuce leaves for added color and nutrition.
- Blending smoothes out the vinaigrette, pureeing the cherry preserves, and also helps to emulsify. An immersion blender is convenient, but a blender or food processor would also work. Whisking by hand is another option, though the vinaigrette may still have pieces of cherry from the preserves. Mustard in the vinaigrette adds flavor and helps keep it together.
Maple Glazed Walnuts
Ingredients
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 3 Tablespoons maple syrup
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Pour maple syrup into medium sized frying pan and place over medium heat. Once syrup has warmed a bit, add the walnuts and salt. Using a heat-safe spatula, stir to coat all the walnuts. Continue cooking for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly, until walnuts start to smell toasty and syrup has thickened and darkened slightly in color. Pour walnuts out of pan to heat-safe surface and allow to cool completely, about 30 minutes. Break apart as needed.
