Chicken and Wild Rice Kale Salad in a Creamy Asiago Balsamic Dressing

Chicken and Wild Rice Kale Salad in a Creamy Asiago Balsamic Dressing

A salad inspired by the flavours of chicken and wild rice soup on a bed of kale with a tasty creamy asiago and white balsamic pan sauce dressing.

ingredients

For the grains:

• 1/2 cup wild rice
• 3 cups water or broth
• 1/2 cup red quinoa (or other colour)
• 1 cup water or broth

For the salad:

• 6 cups kale, ribs removed and sliced finely
• 1 cup chicken, cooked and shredded or diced
• 2 ribs celery, thinly sliced
• 2 carrots, shredded or julienned
• 1/4 cup green onions, sliced

For the mushrooms:

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon thyme, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste

For the dressing

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 shallot, finely diced
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1/4 cup white wine or chicken broth
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup asiago or parmesan, grated
• 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
• salt and pepper to taste

directions

For the grains:

1. Bring the wild rice and water to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until tender, about 45 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, bring the quinoa and water to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until tender, about 15 minutes.

For the salad:

3. Meanwhile, prep the veggies for the salad and slice the mushrooms, onions, etc.

For the mushrooms:

4. Melt the butter and heat the oil in a pan over medium-high heat, add the onion and mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms have released their liquids, the liquid has evaporated and they start to caramelized and turn golden brown, about 15-20 minutes, before adding the garlic and thyme, cooking until fragrant, about a minute, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste and setting aside.

For the dressing:

5. Add the butter to the pan, let it melt, add the shallot, cook until tender, about 2-3 minutes, add the garlic, cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, add the wine, deglaze the pan, add the broth, cream and cheese and simmer until the sauce thickens to a dressing like consistency, about 3-5 minutes, before adding the mustard and seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.

For the salad:

6. Assemble the salad with the kale topped with the wild rice, red quinoa, chicken, mushrooms, celery, carrots and green onions and toss in the creamy pan sauce dressing.

Nutrition Facts: Calories 437, Fat 16.9g (Saturated 7.2g, Trans 0g), Cholesterol 63mg, Sodium 325mg, Carbs 48.4g (Fiber 7g, Sugars 3.5g), Protein 26.7g

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