I was inspired by this recipe at a delightful café in Central California. Everything on the menu was fresh and made from scratch, so I decided to try my own take on this yummy chicken and grapefruit salad!

Grapefruit salad:

  • 1 small head of Romaine lettuce
  • Handful of mixed greens
  • 2 grapefruit
  • 1 cup Gorgonzola cheese crumbles
  • 1 avocado
  • 1/2 cup candied pecans
  • 1 chicken breast

Dressing:

The key to a great homemade vinaigrette is a simple 3:1 ratio. As long as you remember 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar, you won’t need to consult a vinaigrette recipe ever again. If you get them backwards and do three parts vinegar to one part oil, your puckered mouth will ensure you don’t make that mistake a second time. That being said, sometimes adjustments need to be made according to desired taste. Some vinegars have a sweeter or more tangy flavor, and adding citrus or other fresh herbs adds delicious flavor!

  • 1 cup white wine vinegar
  • 3 cups extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 whole lemon

Directions for salad:

  1. Wash and dry lettuce.
  2. Place chicken breast between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound till nice and thin. Sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides and grill. Since chicken has been pounded, it will only take a few minutes on each side to cook and will be very moist and tender. Do not overcook the chicken (but do not undercook the chicken either! Simply cut a small slice in the center of the thickest part to ensure it is cooked all the way through).
  3. Let chicken cool and then chop into pieces.
  4. Break lettuce into pieces and add chopped chicken.
  5. Slice grapefruit into wedges and add to chicken and lettuce. The key to slicing a grapefruit is to first cut off both ends then slice off the peel including all the white membrane (this is the bitter part of the grapefruit) then slice from outside to center on both sides of each individual wedge and you will have perfect grapefruit wedges!
  6. Mix in cheese and nuts and top with sliced avocado.

Directions for dressing:

  1. Squeeze lemon into vinegar (be careful to avoid seeds).
  2. Whisk in oil, pouring slowly.
  3. Add pinch of salt and pepper and whisk till thick and emulsified.
  4. Pour over salad and enjoy!