Chicken, Orange, and Avocado Salad with Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

“If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?” I was thinking of that famous philosophical quote while making this Chicken, Orange, and Avocado Salad for family dinner. It’s a household favorite that I published several years ago. Yet it seems to have gone under the radar. In other words, it hasn’t made much of a sound.

So this is me … making noise. About this salad. And how good it is. And how it is exactly what you need at your dinner table. The goodies of spring are barely beginning to arrive in markets, and most of us have had enough of the stews and chilis we were so jazzed about back in November. Consider this a bright spot at the close of cold weather cooking. 

How to Make Chicken, Orange, and Avocado Salad

The salad starts with a marinade that doubles as a salad dressing.  Endive, a mildly bitter, crunchy vegetable in the chicory family, adds a little crunch and punch to the lettuce mix. The greens are balanced by the sweetness of the oranges and a touch of honey in the dressing. The presence of healthy fats — olive oil, avocado, and pumpkin seeds — along with the chicken make the salad substantial enough to qualify as dinner.

Swaps and Substitutions for this Salad

This is a salad that can be adjusted depending on the season and your palate. Here are a few ideas:

• Use other fruits in place of orange. Other citrus fruits, such as mandarins and blood oranges would be terrific, as would berries in summer, pomegranate in late fall, and persimmons in winter. 
• Swap roasted sunflower seeds, toasted pistachios, or chopped almonds for the pepitas. 
• Crumble mild goat cheese into the salad instead of adding avocado. 
• Use a few heads Little Gem lettuce in lieu of butter lettuce.
• Add a handful of peppery greens, such as arugula or watercress. 

However you decide to make this salad, know that it’s plainly tasty. It’s worth making noise about.

Is anybody listening?

If you Like Chicken, Orange, and Avocado Salad, you might like:

Chopped Salad with Chicken and Lemon Oregano Dressing

Crunchy Salad with Chicken/Tofu Skewers and Asian-Style Dressing

Fattoush Salad

Flavorful and Flexible Chopped Winter Salad

Spring Salad with Dill Dressing – 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

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Chicken, Orange, and Avocado Salad with Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

Packed to the rafters with fan favorites -- chicken, oranges, avocados, pumpkin seeds -- this main dish salad is a hit in our household. I always sprinkle a little pinch of salt over the avocado before scooping it from its peel since that really brightens the flavor. You can ease your same-day prep by doing the dressing and getting the chicken marinating a day ahead of time.

Servings 4 main dish servings

Calories 591 kcal

Author Katie Morford

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 2 medium minced shallots
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice
• A few drops of sriracha, tabasco, or other favorite hot sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning the chicken
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 small heads endive
• 2 large seedless oranges (cara cara is a tasty variety)
• 1 small head butter lettuce (or 3 heads little gems, washed and torn into pieces)
• 1 large, ripe avocado, sliced
• 2 tablespoons toasted pepitas

Instructions

1. In a small bowl make the marinade/dressing by whisking together the vinegar, shallots, honey, olive oil, orange juice, sriracha, and salt.

2. Put the chicken into a medium bowl, pour 1/2 of the marinade/dressing over the top, and mix well. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour, preferably several hours. Store the remainder of the marinade/dressing in the refrigerator.

3. Thirty minutes before you're ready to cook, remove the chicken and the dressing from the fridge. Lay the chicken on a baking sheet with sides. Season lightly with salt and black pepper.

4. Turn on your broiler. Set the chicken under the broiler and cook for about 5 minutes per side until the inside has just barely lost its pink color and remains tender and juicy. The time will vary depending on the thickness of the chicken and the proximity to the broiler. You can also cook the chicken on a grill, if desired.
5. Remove chicken from heat to rest on the counter. After 10 minutes, cut into bite-size pieces
6. While the chicken cooks, prepare the salad. Trim the stem ends off the endive and cut lengthwise down the center. Cut out the little triangle of core from the center of the endive and pull leaves apart. Set the oranges on a cutting board and use a sharp knife (serrated edge works well) to cut off the peel and pith, revealing the bright orange flesh of the fruit. Cut each orange into quarters and then cut crosswise into bite-size pieces.
7. Put the endive, oranges, and lettuce in a large shallow bowl or platter. Dress the salad, reserving a little of the dressing. Add the chicken and avocado to the top of the salad and drizzle a little dressing over them. Sprinkle the pumpkin seeds over the top.