Chicken Mandarin Spinach Salad with Lime Feta Ranch Dressing
A fresh spinach salad with seasoned chicken, mandarin oranges, crisp vegetables, feta cheese, and homemade Lime Feta Ranch Dressing.
Ingredients
1 lb. skinless boneless chicken breasts or tenders, grilled or baked12 cups or two 5 oz. packages fresh baby spinach leaves, washed and well drained (3 cups per salad)
2 cups shredded carrots
2 cups shredded jicama
½ of a small red onion, thinly sliced
2 cups Mandarin orange segments, drained of juice
4 tablespoons feta cheese, finely crumbled
1 1/3 cups Lime Feta Ranch Dressing
Lime Feta Ranch Dressing
½ cup low fat olive oil mayonnaise
½ cup fat free sour cream
1 clove garlic, pressed
3 tbsp. fresh lime juice
3 tbsp. seasoned rice vinegar
2 oz. (½ cup) feta cheese, crumbled
2 tbsp. skim milk depending on desired consistency
¼ tsp. fresh ground black pepper – optional
dash sea or regular salt
Directions
I. Lightly season chicken with garlic powder and lemon pepper and bake or grill at 350 F for 20 to 25 minutes until juices run clear. The amount of time needed to bake or grill tenders is about half that of a breast. Allow chicken to cool then shred or cut into small pieces; cover and chill.2. Wash and dry spinach leaves and divide between four plates. Divide chicken, carrot, jicama and red onion 4 ways and toss together gently with spinach leaves.
3. To make dressing whisk together in a small bowl mayonnaise with sour cream, garlic, lime juice, rice vinegar, feta cheese, and black pepper. If necessary, thin dressing to desired consistency with 1 to 2 tbsp. low fat or skim milk, Cover and chill several hours to allow flavors to blend before serving.
4. To assemble salads, divide spinach mixture onto four plates. Top each salad with an equal amount of chicken, Mandarin oranges, 1 tablespoon crumbled feta cheese and serve with 1/3 cup Lime Feta Ranch Dressing.
Cook’s Note: Dressing will last up to one week refrigerated.
Nutrition
Nutrition Information: 1 Salad with 1/3 cup dressing 445 calories; 13g Fat; 46g Carbohydrate; 11g Dietary Fiber; 35g Protein; 88mg Cholesterol; 1099mg Sodium.Feta Lime Ranch Nutrition Information: Yield 2 cups or 1/3 cup serving at 112 calories; 6g Fat; 8g Carbohydrate; 0 Dietary Fiber; 3g Protein; 16mg Cholesterol; 588 mg sodium.
Nutritional Talking Points:
- I cut the feta cheese in the dressing from 3/4 cup a 1/2 cup
- I cut the feta cheese in the salad from 2 tablespoons per serving to 1 tablespoon