Grilled Apricot and Kale Chicken (Printable)

Vibrant summer salad with grilled apricots, tender chicken, crisp kale, and fresh basil in honey-lemon vinaigrette.

# List of ingredients:

→ Proteins

01 - 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.1 lbs)

→ Produce

02 - 6 ripe apricots, halved and pitted
03 - 4 cups curly kale, stems removed, leaves chopped
04 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
05 - 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
06 - 1 small cucumber, sliced

→ Dressing

07 - 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
08 - 1 tbsp honey
09 - 2 tbsp lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
10 - 1 tsp Dijon mustard
11 - 1/2 tsp sea salt
12 - 1/4 tsp black pepper

→ Optional Additions

13 - 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
14 - 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

# Steps:

01 - Preheat grill or grill pan to medium-high heat.
02 - Brush chicken breasts and apricot halves lightly with 1 tbsp olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
03 - Grill chicken for 6-7 minutes per side, or until fully cooked and juices run clear. Simultaneously, grill apricots cut-side down for 2-3 minutes until grill marks appear and fruit is slightly softened. Set both aside to cool slightly.
04 - In a large salad bowl, massage chopped kale with a pinch of salt for 1-2 minutes to soften.
05 - Slice the grilled chicken into thin strips. Cut grilled apricot halves into quarters.
06 - Add sliced chicken, apricots, red onion, cucumber, and basil to the bowl with kale.
07 - In a small bowl, whisk together remaining olive oil, honey, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, salt, and black pepper to make the dressing.
08 - Drizzle dressing over salad and toss gently to combine. Sprinkle with feta cheese and pine nuts if using. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The way warm grilled apricots make kale taste like something you actually want to eat
  • A complete meal that feels light but keeps you satisfied for hours
  • Honey and lemon tie everything together like a secret you discovered by accident
02 -
  • Cold grilled apricots lose their magic, serve this salad right after assembling
  • The kale massage step seems weird but skipping it makes the salad tough and unpleasant
  • Grilled apricots can be swapped for peaches or nectarines but apricots have that perfect tart sweet balance
03 -
  • Extra dressing keeps in the fridge for a week and is fantastic on simple green salads
  • Grill extra apricots and serve them for dessert with a dollop of Greek yogurt

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