“Mom, you have to blog this Grilled Chicken & Kumquat Spring Salad. It is one of the best I have ever tasted!” my daughter exclaimed as she took her first few bites. And I would have to agree, it was so delicious we ate the whole salad between the two of us! The vinaigrette has a lite and citrus taste that compliments but does not over-power the salad, and the kumquats are a great combination of sweet and tart all together. Add grilled chicken, toasted slivered almonds, scallions and diced pear and you have the makings of one fine salad. Top it off with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc and you have a perfect lite summer meal!

I visited my daughter and grandson this past weekend while her husband was away on a business trip. And let me tell you, there is nothing that melts a Nana’s heart more than squeezing that little guy!

After a fun day of enjoying them both, it was time to make something yummy. Feeling like a lite meal, I ran to the store to pick up salad ingredients for making an Asian chicken salad. When I got back, my daughter asked where the mandarin oranges were, which I had forgotten. Sometimes the best things are born when you have to improvise! We decided to forgo the Asian salad and begin from scratch. She had kumquats and pears, so we made a lite citrus flavored salad with grilled chicken. I know for certain I will be making this Grilled Chicken & Kumquat Spring Salad several times this summer! The flavors complimented each other so well; we kept commenting on how delicious it was.

Kumquats are generally not one of those “everyday” fruits, in fact I have passed them by in the grocery store for years. They look like a baby orange, but you don’t want to peel them. Their sweetness is in the rind, which seems opposite, but not in this case. The insides are quite tart, so you definitely want to eat the rind to balance the taste. Just wash them well and slice them thin.

Trader Joe’s sells a most delicious Orange Muscat Champagne Vinegar. I’ve listed this as one of the ingredients for the salad dressing. If you do not have a Trader Joe’s near you, increase the rice vinegar to 3 Tbsp and add a fresh squeeze of orange juice to the dressing. But definitely use the Orange Muscat if you can.

Grill your chicken adding a little salt & pepper and chop into bite-size pieces.
Grilled Chicken & Kumquat Spring Salad
Serves | 4-5 |
Prep time | 15 minutes |
Cook time | 15 minutes |
Total time | 30 minutes |
Allergy | Tree Nuts |
Dietary | Gluten-free |
Meal type | Lunch, Main Dish, Salad, Side Dish |
Misc | Serve Cold |
Ingredients
Salad
- 5 cups Spring Salad Mix
- 3 Small Scallions (chopped)
- 6 Kumquats (thinly sliced)
- 1/2 Pear (diced)
- 1/3 cup Slivered Almonds (lightly toasted)
- 1 Large Chicken Breast (chopped into bite-size & grilled)
Dressing
- 1/2 cup Grape Seed Oil (or other lite oil (safflower, lite olive oil, etc))
- 2 tablespoons Rice Vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Orange Muscat Champagne Vinegar (Trader Joe's brand)
- 1 tablespoon Pure Maple Syrup
- 1/4 Fresh Lime (juice squeezed)
- pinch Sea Salt
- dash Black Pepper
Note
If needed, exchange 1 tbsp rice vinegar and 1 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice for Trader Joe's Orange Muscat Champagne Vinegar
Directions
Salad | |
Step 1 | |
Chop chicken breast into bite-size pieces and grill until golden brown (approx. 15 min). Remove from stove and allow to cool completely. | |
Step 2 | |
Rinse spring mix lettuce leaves and lightly dab with paper towel to remove excess water. Set aside. | |
Step 3 | |
Chop scallions and half pear. Thinly slice kumquats, leaving the rind intact. Set aside. | |
Step 4 | |
Toast slivered almonds either under a broiler or in a saute pan until slightly golden. | |
Dressing | |
Step 5 | |
Pour oil into a blender. Add rice vinegar, orange muscat champagne vinegar, maple syrup, squeeze of lime, salt and pepper. | |
Step 6 | |
Mix on low until well blended. | |
Step 7 | |
Place all salad ingredients into a large bowl, add dressing and gently toss. |
This recipe was shared on the following blogs: Moonlight&MasonJars, SweetBellaRoos, MommyonDemand, VegetarianMamma, HungryHarps, TheChickenChick, RealFoodForager
OK, that’s it: I am coming over for dinner to night! This looks VERY scrumptious!!! 🙂
x Crystelle
Crystelle Boutique
Come on over! Seriously, try this…so delicious.