Almond & Apricot Chicken Salad – Juicy apricot slices, toasted almonds, and chopped chicken over a peppery bed of arugula topped with a sharp and smoky cumin and paprika vinaigrette | Gluten Free + Paleo + Dairy Free
Originally posted 31 August 2015 – Updated with improved photos, recipe and tips 1 July 2019
I don’t know about you, but Summer came slow for us this year. With all the grey and rainy days this past June I wasn’t exactly feeling the summer time vibes. Now that it’s hit us I’m ready to soak in all the summery flavours starting with this sweet and juicy almond and apricot chicken salad.
Let’s get to it!
Apricot Chicken Salad Prep
Altogether this salad is pretty simple to make. The salad part itself is pretty basic: just a mix of arugula, chicken, almond and apricots.
A lot of the flavour here comes from the smokey, herby, tangy cumin and paprika vinaigrette. It will take a couple of minutes to prep all of the components – chop the herbs, mince the garlic and gather the ingredients.
Once prepped, all you need to do is add everything together in a small cup or bowl and whisk together until combined. Maybe taste and season with a little more salt or lemon juice if needed and that’s it.
Once your salad is prepped and your vinaigrette is mixed all that’s left to do is pour over the dressing and toss well to combine and that’s it!
Additional Questions & Tips
What kind of chicken should I use?
- Any kind of leftover chicken will do here. You can use shredded chicken or chopped up breast. I think chicken breast works best here but you can also use skinless, boneless thighs if that’s all you have on hand.
- If you don’t have any precooked, leftover chicken you can quickly pan fry a couple of chicken breasts. Sprinkle each side with salt and pepper and cook each side for about 4-5 minutes until cooked through. Slice into bite sized pieces and that’s it. This shouldn’t take much more time than prepping the salad and vinaigrette so even if you do cook the chicken from scratch this salad comes together in very little time.
Can I use dried apricots?
- Sure! If apricots aren’t in season for you you can always use chopped, dried apricots. If you’d like to stick to fresh fruit you can also use peaches, grapes or apples.
How to choose the right apricots:
- Look for fruits that are golden/orange in colour. Avoid apricots that are pale yellow/green as they are likely not quite ripe enough yet.
- Apricots should be mostly firm but will yield with a little squeeze. Too firm and they will be sour, hard to slice, and the stone pit won’t be easy to remove.
How long will this salad keep?
- Once you add the vinaigrette it’s best to eat this within 1-2 days. However the vinaigrette will keep well stored in the fridge for up to 1 week so you can always prep that in advance and wait to add it to your salad until just before serving if you’re interested in meal prep. Also wait to slice and add the fruit until you’re the day of serving.
Enjoy!
Almond & Apricot Chicken Salad
Almond & Apricot Chicken Salad - Juicy apricot slices, toasted almonds, and chopped chicken over a peppery bed of arugula topped with a sharp and smoky cumin and paprika vinaigrette
Ingredients
Vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (60 ml)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (15 ml)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (15 ml)
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 3/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves chopped
- 2 tablespoons freshly parsley chopped
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
Salad
- 1/2 cup raw slivered almonds, (55 g)
- 2 cups cooked chicken breasts, chopped (275 g)
- 6 fresh apricots pitted and sliced
- 4 cups arugula/rocket
- Ground black pepper, for topping
Instructions
Vinaigrette
- In a small cup or jar, whisk together all of the ingredients listed for the vinaigrette until combined. Set aside for later.
Salad
- Place a large pan over a medium heat. Add the almonds and toast for 1-2 minutes. Keep on a eye on the almonds and make sure to stir. The almond will go from fine to burnt very quickly if you don't keep on eye on them.
- Once the almonds start to brown remove the pan from the heat.
- In a large bowl, assemble the salad by tossing together the chicken, apricots, most of the almonds, and the arugula.
- Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss gently until the vinaigrette is evenly distributed. Top with the remaining almonds and ground black pepper and serve.
Notes
What kind of chicken should I use?
- Any kind of leftover chicken will do here. You can use shredded chicken or chopped up breast. I think chicken breast works best here but you can also use skinless, boneless thighs if that’s all you have on hand.
- If you don’t have any precooked, leftover chicken you can quickly pan fry a couple of chicken breasts. Sprinkle each side with salt and pepper and cook each side for about 4-5 minutes until cooked through. Slice into bite sized pieces and that’s it. This shouldn’t take much more time than prepping the salad and vinaigrette so even if you do cook the chicken from scratch this salad comes together in very little time.
How to choose the right apricots:
- Look for fruits that are golden/orange in colour. Avoid apricots that are pale yellow/green as they are likely not quite ripe enough yet.
- Apricots should be mostly firm but will yield with a little squeeze. Too firm and they will be sour, hard to slice, and the stone pit won’t be easy to remove.
How long will this salad keep?
- Once you add the vinaigrette it’s best to eat this within 1-2 days. However the vinaigrette will keep well stored in the fridge for up to 1 week so you can always prep that in advance and wait to add it to your salad until just before serving if you’re interested in meal prep. Also wait to slice and add the fruit until you’re the day of serving.
Alicia Storms says
Hi there,
I tried this at home yesterday and this turned out to so delicious.
This changed my perception of not having salads normally.
Thank you for this delicious recipe. I would like to see some more recipe related to salads and will share with others. keep sharing 🙂
Sarah Nevins says
Hi Alicia! So glad you enjoyed this – thanks for coming back to let me know what you thought!
Bethany says
This sounds really interesting, and it looks great!
Sarah says
Thanks, Bethany!
Gabriel @ The Dinner Special podcast says
I love that this salad has a bit of everything – sweet, savoury, spice, and the textures, soft and crunchy, just all add up to what sounds and looks like an amazing meal! I”d eat this all up in one sitting so it’s all in with my dressing!!
Sarah says
Thanks, Gabriel! It really does have so much going on with the flavor and texture – easily one of my new favorite salads!
Vicki says
Wow!! I wouldn’t have thought of this combination but it looks incredible. I adore the idea of toasting the cumin.
Sarah says
Thanks, Vicki! I was surprised at how much I liked the toasted cumin – it made my kitchen smell incredible too which is always a plus!
Rachel @ Simple Seasonal says
What lovely childhood memories! We had a neighbor, until I was about 5, who had a pear tree in their yard. I had completely forgotten about it. Thanks for reminding me! And the salad looks so fresh and flavorful!
Sarah says
Thanks, Rachel! glad I could remind you of that pear tree 🙂