There’s nothing more refreshing than a stone fruit salad. Add juicy grilled chicken with stracciatella and you’ve got yourself a main meal.
Recently, I’ve mostly been a non-breakfast, snack a little for lunch, craving a really good dinner type of gal. Summertime in North Carolina is HOT, so cooling things down with a hearty salad is right up my alley. This protein-packed, fruit and veggie forward ensemble will keep you coming back for more. I made my own croutons with seasoned and baked ciabatta, but you can also serve this with my Foolproof Garlic Bread or Herbed Focaccia.
WATCH ME MAKE THIS ON THE GRAM!
INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED FOR THIS RECIPE:
It might look like a long list… but trust me. It’s mostly things you’d have on hand this thyme of year (see what I did there? 😉 )
CHICKEN MARINADE:
- Springer Mountain Farms Chicken Breasts
- Olive Oil
- Lemon Juice
- Fresh Dill
- Dried Oregano
- Salt + Black Pepper
FOR THE SALAD:
- Fresh Arugula
- Peaches
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Pitted Fresh Cherries
- Stracciatella
- Shelled Walnuts
- Fresh Basil Leaves
- Fresh Thyme
- Champagne or Balsamic Vinaigrette
SERVING SUGGESTIONS:
- Toasted Croutons
- Crispy Prosciutto Crumbles
- Lemon Zest
- Aged Balsamic Vinegar
Per the usual, there are many swaps you can do here. Don’t have arugula on hand? Grab whatever lettuce you have in your fridge. No peaches? Nectarines are phenomenal as well. You could probably swap the cherries for a dried version… but I’m really a big fan of fresh ones. We already had walnuts, so I used those. Other nuts that would add some crunch (and flavor) would include shelled and roasted pumpkin seeds, slivered almonds, or pistachios. Hmm… I love pistachios. I bet this would taste awesome with a drizzle of my Pistachio Pesto!
DEFINITION OF A STONE FRUIT:
The prime fruits are apricots, cherries, nectarines, peaches, pluots, and plums. Technically, dates, green almonds, mangos, and olives are in the same category group. How are they all related? They all have a large “stone” or pit in their center.
WHAT IS STRACCIATELLA?
You know that awesomely addicting center of a burrata ball? Yup, that’s stracciatella. It’s basically fresh mozzarella that has been soaked in cream over a period of time. I actually make my own at home (stay tuned for that blog post coming soon!). You can find it at your local grocery store in the fine cheese section.
WHO IS SPRINGER MOUNTAIN FARMS?
They are a family-owned farm nestled in the hills of the picturesque Blue Ridge Mountains. They’ve been raising chickens for over 25 years and are truly dedicated to providing them with the highest quality of life. I’ve partnered with them for over a year now, providing delicious recipes using their chicken products. You can view all those recipes on my blog, or on their website directly by clicking here!
WHY YOU SHOULD MAKE THIS:
Besides the fact that it’s gorgeous… it’s actually super easy to throw together! It might look fancy, but everything can be prepped in advance (including grilling the chicken!). All you need to do is assemble before serving. Hosting friends for dinner? This makes for a show-stopping centerpiece.
OTHER SEASONAL RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE:
South Carolina Peaches and Cream Oatmeal
Grilled Corn With Cilantro Cowboy Butter
Summer Peach Tomato Salad with Bacon
Zucchini Pasta with Peas, Pasta, and Burrata
Rustic Toast with Crème Fraîche and Heirloom Tomatoes
Grilled Peach Salad with Aged Balsamic Vinegar
VIEW ALL RECIPES BY CLICKING HERE!
- 2 Springer Mountain Farms Chicken Breasts, butterflied in half
- ¼ cup Olive Oil
- 2 tbsp. Lemon Juice
- 1 tsp. Fresh Dill
- 1 tsp. Dried Oregano
- ½ tsp. Salt
- ½ tsp. Black Pepper
- 1 cup Fresh Arugula
- 2 Peaches, sliced into wedges
- ½ Pint Cherry Tomatoes, halved
- 1.5 cups Pitted Fresh Cherries
- 8 oz. Stracciatella
- ¼ cup Shelled Walnuts
- 6 - 8 Fresh Basil Leaves
- 2 - 3 Sprigs Fresh Thyme
- Champagne or Balsamic Vinaigrette, as desired
- Toasted Croutons
- Crispy Prosciutto Crumbles
- Zest of 1 Lemon
- Drizzle of Aged Balsamic Vinegar
- Whisk together all ingredients for the marinade in a large bowl, add the sliced chicken, and marinate in the fridge for a hour.
- Once marinated, grill the chicken until the internal temperature reaches 165F. This should take about 10 minutes on a 375F preheated grill, flipping halfway through. Set aside to rest while you assemble the salad.
- On a large platter, layer the salad ingredients in the order listed. Arrange as see you fit. Nestle the grilled chicken on top and add any desired serving suggestions.
NOTES ON THIS RECIPE:
- Don’t marinate the chicken for more than an hour, as the acid will start to break down the meat and you’ll end up with a tougher piece of chicken in the end.
- The texture of stracciatella in this salad is awesome because it almost acts as a somewhat dressing. However, you could also substitute this with burrata. Just make sure to tear it apart so you still get creamy chunks of the stracciatella throughout.
- I love placing prosciutto in the oven and making it crispy. If you’d prefer to use bacon, that works too!
- Any type of tomato tastes great in this recipe, as long as it’s ripe and in season.
This post is sponsored in partnership with Springer Mountain Farms. Per the usual, all opinions here are mine alone and I would never recommend a product or ingredient that I did not immensely enjoy myself. Thank you for supporting the brands that support SliceOfJess.com!
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