Recipe: Summer Chicken Salad

Since summer is just about over, I thought I'd share one of my favorite summer salad recipes. It just happens to be named Summer Chicken Salad, and tastes suspiciously similar to one served at a favorite soup/salad/sandwich joint around these parts. This salad is sooooo yummy and refreshing!

Summer Chicken Salad

Serves 4

Salad Ingredients:

1 head romaine lettuce, chopped

1 head of red leaf lettuce, chopped

2 c. cooked chicken, diced (I like it cooked ahead of time, and served cold)

a bunch of red grapes, rinsed

10 strawberries, sliced

craisins (dried cranberries)

1/4 c. of cashews, chopped (easiest done in a food processor)

Dressing Ingredients:
6 ripe strawberries
3/4 c. apple cider vinegar
1/2 c. (or more) cup of sugar (to taste)
1/2 t. salt
3/4 c. canola oil
water (to add in at the end if too strong)

Directions:
In a blender, mix up the strawberries, vinegar, sugar and salt. Blend well. With the blender on, slowly add in all of the oil, blending until smooth. Taste. If it seems too strong, add a little water.

To arrange the salads, begin with the lettuce on the plates. Add chicken, grapes, strawberries, craisins, and then the cashews over the whole salad at the end. Serve the dressing separately so that people can add it on their own, as much or as little as they want.

Note: I usually go really heavy on the salad ingredients, and we make this a complete dinner, along with some yummy bread.