Hear me out. I haven’t totally lost my mind.
I know it might sound a little strange. Cooked chicken with peaches and… candied almonds?
And seriously… CANDIED?
Whoa, wait a minute. Whatever happened to “Healthy”, Ms. Healthy Foodie? Last I checked, candy and healthy just didn’t really go hand in hand!
Hey, I totally hear you! But you know, it only takes half a teaspoon of honey to get the candied coating on these almonds. Nothing to worry about, trust me. I think we’re still on the right track here…
Seriously, when I got the inspiration for this particular salad, I wasn’t really convinced myself. I was like, really?
I think my brain forced me to do it. HE was really convinced, you see? I think it was his idea, and his alone. Yeah… I do have to give him credit for that.
I say credit, because this salad, after all, really, totally, completely BLEW MY MIND!
It was seriously the best salad I had eaten in a very long time. Well… ok, probably more like in a couple of weeks.
You know me and salads… LOVE ‘EM!
But STILL! I guarantee you that this salad right here will simply send you straight to seventh heaven.
Everything about it is just plain fa-bu-lous.
I just loved the way the mushrooms sort of wilted due to the acidity in the vinaigrette and I went totally nuts for the sweet crunchy bite that the candied almonds brought into the mix.
Add the tangy, fresh taste of the peaches, the soft chewiness of the chicken and the zesty kick of the vinaigrette, it was all just perfect. There’s just nothing that I would change about this salad.
Nothing at all.
I wouldn’t even remove the peel from the peach that goes into the salad, even though I have a very hard time handling peach skin. It gives me goose bumps, you see… sometimes I get them only looking at the fruit. It’s that bad.
But in this salad?
I actually enjoyed it. 
INGREDIENTS
- 1 leftover cooked chicken breast
- 2-3 cups kale, finely shredded, leaves only
- 1 green onion, finely chopped
- 3-4 button mushrooms, sliced
- 1 small ripe peach, peel on, diced
- 2 tbsp sliced almonds
- ½ tsp unpasteurized liquid honey
- 1 small ripe peach, peeled and diced
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
- ¼ tsp each salt and pepper
- 1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tsp unpasteurized liquid honey
- 1/8 tsp guar gum
INSTRUCTIONS
- Add all the ingredients of the dressing to your small food processor or blender and process until nice and smooth. Set aside.
- Toast almonds in a small non stick pan, over medium heat, for about 2 minutes or until they take a nice golden color. Add honey and stir until almonds are evenly coated. Remove from heat.
- Cut half your leftover chicken breast in slices and the other half in 1" cubes. Set aside.
- Add shredded kale, mushrooms and green onions to a small mixing bowl. Add vinaigrette and mix until well coated.
- Transfer to serving plate, add peaches, chicken cubes and strips, then sprinkle candied almonds.
I’m a salad eater summer and winter and this looks SO moreish! The candied nuts do not bother amongst all the goodness there
! Want to try the vinaigrette soonest as peach + rosemary seem a fascinating mix!
You are quite right, Eha. Peach and rosemary does work awfully well! I figured if peach and lavender worked, then rosemary had to be great also. Oh, I so can’t wait for my lavender to be ready to use. I get the feeling that I will be cooking with that A LOT this summer.
What a tasty and satisfying looking salad!
Hehe! Glad you like, Kevin! Thanks for dropping by, it’s always a pleasure, as well as a great honor, to have you here!
That is a truly beautiful salad, with all my favorite things on it. I once lived in peach country and don’t know if I’ll ever get to eat a perfect peach ever again, because they are so difficult to find in stores! If I do find one this summer… I will make this salad! Perhaps a mango would work as a sub. I’m not a fan of raw mushrooms, but I love to roast them – in chunks or thick slices, plain – at 400 for about 15 minutes, and then store them in the fridge for salads.
Oh, what I wouldn’t give for a beautiful, plump and ripe peach right off the tree! I’m sure that it doesn’t even compare! I can only imagine the smell, and the extreme juiciness, and the explosion of flavor! Just like apples, I guess. There’s just NOTHING like a freshly picked apple.
You are quite right, I think that mango would make an excellent substitution! I’ll have to try it next time. With the peel on! As for the raw mushrooms, I’m not too big on them myself either, but in this salad, they work beautifully, for they wilt a little bit and become all soft and chewy… Love that texture! I’ve never tried baking them, though. I’ll definitely have to give your technique a try!
My mom used to make “sugared almonds” for me when I was a little. Boy were those tasty and addicting!
It doesn’t strike me as odd at all
Rather, it’s a perfectly balanced salad in terms of taste and texture. I can’t wait for fresh local peaches!