Zizania Chicken Salad
Elevate your salad game with this vibrant and nutritious Zizania Chicken Salad, a perfect harmony of bold flavors and irresistible textures. Featuring tender shredded chicken, nutty wild rice (zizania), and a colorful medley of fresh salad greens, sweet cherry tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, and tangy red onions, this dish is a feast for both the eyes and the palate. Dried cranberries and crunchy walnuts or pecans add a delightful contrast, while crumbled feta lends a creamy, savory finish. Tossed in a zesty homemade dressing of olive oil, lemon juice, honey, and Dijon mustard, this hearty salad is light yet satisfying, making it an ideal choice for lunch or a healthy dinner. Ready in just 20 minutes (plus cooking time for the rice and chicken), it’s a delicious, protein-packed meal that you can enjoy fresh or chilled.
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Recipe Information
Ingredients
- 2 cups Cooked wild rice (zizania)
- 2 cups Cooked chicken breast, shredded or diced
- 4 cups Mixed salad greens
- 1 cup Cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 medium Cucumber, diced
- 0.25 cup Red onion, sliced thinly
- 0.5 cup Dried cranberries
- 0.5 cup Chopped walnuts or pecans
- 0.5 cup Feta cheese, crumbled
- 0.25 cup Extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons Fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Honey
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 clove Garlic, minced
- 0.5 teaspoon Salt
- 0.25 teaspoon Black pepper
Instructions
Cook the wild rice according to package instructions, ensuring the grains are tender but not mushy. Drain any excess water and set aside to cool.
While the rice is cooking, prepare the chicken breast by boiling, grilling, or roasting until fully cooked through. Allow to cool and shred or dice the meat into bite-sized pieces.
In a large salad bowl, combine the cooled wild rice, shredded chicken, salad greens, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, dried cranberries, chopped walnuts or pecans, and crumbled feta cheese.
In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the olive oil, fresh lemon juice, honey, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, salt, and black pepper to create the dressing.
Pour the dressing over the salad mixture in the large bowl. Toss gently with tongs to evenly coat all ingredients with the dressing.
Serve immediately as a main dish or chilled for later. Enjoy your Zizania Chicken Salad!
Nutrition Facts
Calories |
2766 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
% Daily Value* |
|||
| Total Fat | 142.6 g | 183% | |
| Saturated Fat | 34.1 g | 170% | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 0.2 g | ||
| Cholesterol | 506 mg | 169% | |
| Sodium | 3022 mg | 131% | |
| Total Carbohydrate | 182.5 g | 66% | |
| Dietary Fiber | 21.6 g | 77% | |
| Total Sugars | 71.1 g | ||
| Protein | 192.9 g | 386% | |
| Vitamin D | 0.0 mcg | 0% | |
| Calcium | 796 mg | 61% | |
| Iron | 13.0 mg | 72% | |
| Potassium | 3108 mg | 66% | |
*The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
