This Pomegranate Grilled Chicken Salad, with the most delicious caramelized pumpkin crunch on top, is easy to prepare and simply beautiful on the table.
I first made this Grilled Chicken Salad on Rosh Hashanah when I was looking to prepare something on-theme. It made sense. The honey/maple syrup factor, the apples, the pomegranates, the pumpkin seeds instead of other nuts…it was the perfect thing to have on the table for a lunch seudah with company.
But I loved it so much, I’ve been preparing it for every Friday night since.
There’s so little to do and prepare and the results are magnificent. Besides for grilling the chicken, the only thing that really needs to be done ahead is preparing the pumpkin seeds.
This crunch is so good. Simply toss the pumpkin seeds with the seasoning and honey or maple syrup. Bake for 5-10 minutes, until the pumpkin seeds are toasted and caramelized.
Note that the baking time can vary, depending on your oven and the type of pan used so keep an eye on them! They also caramelize much better when the baking sheet is lined with parchment paper vs. foil. These little details make a difference!
Once the the pumpkin seeds are cool, they’ll look like a brittle and take on a slightly chewy, slightly crunchy texture. The crunch is tempting on its own. I find that this recipe makes enough for two salads so you only need to prepare it every other time.
Didn’t have time to prepare the crunch? Add both pumpkin seeds and Craisins so you get the crunchy and chewy textures.
For the chicken, simply combine with olive oil and spices.
Grill on a grill pan. It works to keep this in a covered tin in a warm spot until you’re ready to serve (i.e. if you grill on Friday afternoon for Friday nights).
Now we’re ready for the fun part. This salad plates so beautifully.
Add the greens to a bowl. Add the sliced avocado and apples. I first learned this pretty way to slice avocado from Renee Muller when watching her slice them when we prepared this Avocado Board.
Thinly slice the chicken and add them to the center of the salad.
Top with pomegranate seeds and pumpkin crunch. Enjoy!
Pomegranate Grilled Chicken Salad
Ingredients
Salad:
- 4 oz arugula
- 1 apple, sliced
- 1 avocado, sliced
- ½ pomegranate, seeded
Caramelized Pumpkin Crunch:
- ⅓ cup pumpkin seeds/pepitas
- 3 tbsp honey or maple syrup
- ½ tsp chili powder
- dash cinnamon, optional
- dash salt
Chicken:
- ½ lb thin chicken cutlets
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp parsley
Dressing:
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar (ok to sub lemon juice or half and half)
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup
- ½ tsp salt
- pinch black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss pumpkin seeds with honey, chili powder, cinnamon if using, and salt. Bake for 5-10 minutes, until toasted and caramelized. Let cool.
- Toss chicken with olive oil and spices. Heat a grill pan and grill until cooked through.
- Combine all dressing ingredients.
- Plate the salad. Add apple and avocado. Slice the chicken into thin strips. Add to salad. Top with pomegranate seeds and pumpkin crunch. Toss with dressing (you won’t need all of it) when ready to serve.
Notes
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